


Graded Curve

by MegaraNoelle



Series: Curve [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Mythology, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, F/M, M/M, Post Mpreg, mythology AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-13
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 10:05:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 38,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1043538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaraNoelle/pseuds/MegaraNoelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SEQUEL to Learning Curve. Ten years on and there's been no peep from Hela, but Tony and Loki haven't let their guard down. Tony is determined to prove that he's not useless in protecting his family just because he's the only mortal, and no Goddess of the Dead is going to get in his way. That's what he tells himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again! I've finished one story and here I am with a sequel! If you haven't read Learning Curve then I suggest you go back and read it or you might get a little lost with this one. This is set ten years after the end of Learning Curve, but the players are hte same. Gabby is back too!

Kaia sat next to Nathan, both had their school books open, but they were ignoring the homework. Gabby sat behind them at the table with her laptop open, and ignored. The girls had managed to to talk JARVIS into letting them watch TV and were listening to the reports being given on the latest across the country. Tony and Loki didn't like letting Kaia know when they were going off to fight, and especially didn't want her watching, but they had underestimated their babysitter, years ago.

Seven years after Nathan and Kaia met they found that they were going to the same elementary school, and then the same middle school, and Kaia ended up being in the same grade as Nathan, the same high school. At 13 Kaia was living up to Tony's legacy by skipping two grades and being three years younger, at least, than all of her classmates.

"I like Uncle Loki's armour better," Gabby suddenly announced and Kaia looked up at her twenty-one year old cousin. "It's not as bright."

"You really just like his jacket," Kaia pointed out.

"Can't really blame me," Gabby mumbled.

"I'm sure I could," Tony's voice sounded over the comm lines. "I think you've always been a little biased, missy."

"I'm not," Nathan piped up.

"No, you're a good man Nate," Tony commented. "That's why we let you keep on coming back."

"Aren't you three supposed to be doing your homework?" Loki wondered.

"We are," Kaia said, turning some pages in one of her books. "It's right here, in front of us."

"Doing homework and watching the news are two different things, kiddo." They swore they could hear a smirk in Tony's voice. "Of course leave it to you to get JARVIS to lift the TV ban."

"All we did was ask, nicely," Gabby responded. "Does this mean that the team is coming back now?"

"In a little bit, you two just keep doing your homework." The girls could hear Tony talking and they glanced back at the TV as the news started showing some footage from the battle they had had.

"You mean after you stop by the Malibu mansion to try and repair your suit?" Kaia asked and Tony sputtered a little. They saw that the repulsors on the Iron Man suit were no longer capable of keeping Tony in the air.

"Which means that you're stuck in the quinjet with everyone else," Gabby deduced. "Which means that they've all been listening."

"At least we can be sure that the Tower is one piece," they heard Clint mutter.

"Hiiiiiiiii," Kaia drawled out. "I think that you all should stay in the Malibu house for a few days."

"And why do you think that?" Natasha managed to ask the question first.

"So she can get a head start at being more like Tony with her boyfriend," Clint cut in.

"Hey!" Nathan looked up.

"Because we like the peace and quiet," Kaia cut in. "Byyyyyyyyye." She heard JARVIS end the line and giggled a little as Gabby shook her head.

"Alright you two, if you wanna make it through the rest of the semester and get to the holiday break, without having to study for any exams, then you should get back to your homework," Gabby told the two teenagers. She herself was studying for her own exams.

"Yes moooooom," Kaia and Nathan said at the same time and Gabby rolled her eyes.

While Kaia was three years younger than her class at 13, and Nathan at 16, she never had any problems with classmates. At least none that she or Nathan would tell them about. Gabby wasn't surprised that the girl had skipped so many grades though, not when one of her dads had entered college at the age of 15, and her other dad had rivaled most magic users from his home. That was a startling fact for the then 17 year old.

* * *

_Gabby shuffled down the hall towards the kitchen. She liked to explore the tower at night when there would be no one to stop her, maybe except for JARVIS, but she knew he wouldn't wake anyone else up._

_"Is it because your nervous about your new school?" Gabby stopped when she heard her uncle Loki's voice._

_"No," Kaia's little voice answered, obvious that she was lying._

_"It won't be that much different than any of your other classes," Loki told the girl. Gabby looked around the corner and saw Loki sitting on the love seat, his arms wrapped around the little girl. "That's what your Daddy tells me."_

_"He said he was a little younger than me when he went into the 6th grade," Kaia told him. "How old were you?"_

_"Me? Ah, well," Loki looked slightly uncomfortable and Gabby wondered what his schooling had been like. "My schooling was very much different than your own, and your Dad's. Where your Uncle Thor and I are from are schools are not the same. We each had our own private teachers."_

_"There was no classroom? No other students?" Loki shook his head. "What did you study?"_

_"I studied magic," Loki waved his hand let a glowing butterfly trail across Kaia's nose before disappearing. Gabby blinked a little. "Uncle Thor studied combat and strategies. He wasn't a very good student sometimes."_

_Kaia looked down at her hands and her nose wrinkled in concentration. Her fingers started to glow and an illusion of her favored stuffed mountain goat appeared on the table in front of the love seat. It started to leap about the table and Kaia grinned. Loki chuckled a little._

_"Okay, a short story before you must return to sleep," Loki told Kaia and she nodded, the goat disappearing. Loki waved his hand and a couple of young kids appeared on the table. "I believe that this one is your favorite."_

_"Is it when you and Uncle Thor got lost inside the Nymph's forest?" Loki nodded and Kaia snuggled into his side. Gabby leaned against the wall and watched the story unfold on the table as Loki narrated it. She had lost track of time until she saw the images disappear and Loki picked up a sleeping Kaia. Her eyes widened a little and she scrambled to her feet and ducked down the hallway, hoping to avoid being seen._

_After several minutes, and silence, she poked her head around the corner but didn't see anyone. Slowly making her way over to the table she waved a hand over it, then looked underneath, looking for any kind of holographic device that Tony could have installed._

_"Usually people who have school in the morning are supposed to be asleep," Gabby eeped and fell back against the loveseat. Above her she saw Loki's inquiring face._

_"I couldn't sleep?" She gave him a small, unconvincing smile._

_Loki sighed and pulled her up to her feet. "It's past two in the morning, and anyone under the age of eighty should be asleep."_

_"So then why aren't you asleep?" She walked around the loveseat and looked at her Uncle._

_"I believe you already have a theory for that. Now, shoo," he pushed her back. "To bed with you, or I'll let Tony wake you up in the morning."_

_"I thought gods were supposed to be merciful."_

_"Most gods are," Loki grinned and she shuffled off back to her bedroom._

* * *

Gabby yawned a little as she put her empty ice cream bowl in the sink.

"Mr Stark is on the phone for you Miss Potts," JARVIS informed her. She nodded and watched a screen above the counter island light up and saw Tony's face.

"How's Malibu?" She put her hand over her mouth as she yawned again.

"Hell of a lot warmer than New York I bet," he smirked a little.

"Because I enjoy having to put two jackets on over my shirt, and bring snow boots with me to change into as I freeze walking across campus." Gabby rolled her eyes.

"I remember the days when you refused to talk," Tony almost sounded nostalgic.

"She's spoke to me," Gabby chuckled when she heard Loki's voice in the background. "She must have just like me better than you."

"You two down in your lab?" Gabby watched her Uncle.

"Better than listening to the horrendous sounds that come from Thor when he's sleeping," Loki groaned out then joined Tony on the screen.

"Are you two calling to check up on your darling daughter?" She raised an eyebrow at the two men.

"Tony wants to make sure that Nathan is in fact sleeping in a different room," Loki informed, grunting when Tony elbowed him.

"You're not worried about it, uncle Loki?" Gabby smiled sweetly. There was a short silence and Gabby started to laugh. "Kaia is in her room and Nathan is just down the hall from me, a whole two floors away from each other."

"Good good," Tony nodded a little. He looked off screen at something then frowned slightly. "Don't you have an exam tomorrow?" Gabby nodded. "Then what are you doing up at one in the morning?"

"I need to indulge in some ice cream while I finished a paper," Gabby shrugged. "There's only three days left before vacation starts, are you guys going to stay down there and fly us over?"

"We thought about it," Tony nodded. "Pepper has informed me that she can fax any important documents to me here, or give them to you to get to me later this week."

"He's also a touch afraid to leave his suit alone while it's getting repaired," Loki filled in.

"Are the others gonna stay in the mansion, too?"

"Clint and Natasha already left, something about another mission," Tony said. "Steve said he'd stay, Bruce has to travel for a conference or something, and Thor said he was going to visit Asgard for something or other." Gabby nodded a little and Tony watched her for a second. "Have you told your boyfriend you're leaving for Malibu for the holidays?"

"What!" Gabby sputtered, her eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

"Kaia has informed us that you have some kind of secret boyfriend, whom you rendezvous with every so often," Loki threw in, smirking like he was getting the juiciest gossip.

"She's as bad as you two," Gabby sighed out. "I do not have a secret boyfriend, and even if I did then yes he would know that I was leaving. But I don't, so there's nothing to worry about." She started to walk away from the counter and the screen turned to follow her.

"That's a yes," Tony grinned. "I hope we'll get to meet him soon."

"Good night!" She called as she walked into the hallway and out of sight.

"I wonder if we know him?" Loki pondered, tapping his chin.

"Oh, we'll find out," Tony brought his hands together.

"Hang up already!" Gabby yelled, sending the two men into laughing fits as the call ended.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of a mass update to most of my stories. I feel like crap and didn't go to work, so I thought I'd catch up on a lot (read a LOT) of my stories. Forgive my long absence, there's been a lot of real life stuff that has been kicking my butt, but hopefully these updates make up for it, and everything likes it!

Kaia was talking away about the play that they saw during school that day while Gabby drove down the Manhattan streets. "I mean, it wasn't very long, but it was really good, and they said that someone from another High School wrote it."

"So now she's get in her head that she's going to finish writing a play over the break," Nathan filled in.

"Language Arts is your best subject, isn't it?" Gabby asked as she turned to the corner to the parking garage. She started to slow down with the traffic but didn't turn her blinker on right away. She had a bad feeling when she saw several cars pulling out of the same parking garage and a few men with blue suits were sitting on benches by the main doors.

"Yeah, my teachers weren't really surprised when I started taking AP classes this year instead of next year," Kaia nodded. "Although instead of sitting with all the sophomores I'm in class with Seniors, and that's not awkward at all." Nathan chuckled lightly. "And- hey, didn't we just pass the Tower?

"Yeah," Gabby nodded. "I think I may have seen some people from Hammer Industries there." Tony had warned Gabby and Kaia about Hammer, and said to call him immediately if he wasn't around. Which is exactly what Kaia did.

"Mmmmhhmn," the tired snuffle of Tony's voice filled the car speakers.

"Daddy," Kaia called out and they heard some shuffling. "Gabby said she same Hammer at home."

"A hammer?" Tony asked, sounding like he had just woken up when he heard Kaia's voice.

"Hammer Industries, Uncle Tony," Gabby elaborated. There seemed to be a crash over the phone.

"Hammer? Where?" Now he was more awake.

"I saw some cars, and what looked like some of his men at the Tower," Gabby told him as she turned a corner, headed to smaller public park where they could stay. They thoguht they heard other voices and the line was suddenly muted. Gabby raised an eyebrow.

"Daddy?" Kaia was also a little confused. Gabby pulled into the small parking lot, away from the few other cars that were there as they waited for Tony to answer.

"Where are you now?" Tony's voice came back.

"At a park just south of midtown," Gabby told them. She suddenly wished that she had let Tony install the video conference screen in her car. There were more voices and more movement in the background. "We were going to get our bags, and finish packing."

"So I'm thinking that you guys should fly out here now, and we'll worry about clothes and the like later," Tony said. "I mean it's not like we can't buy you guys some more clothes and-"

"Gabby?" Gabby looked over to her cousin and saw Kaia and Nathan pointing out the windshield. Her eyes widened a little and she started the car as fast as she could. They could see a smiling, and not in a good way, Justin Hammer walking towards them.

"Dritt," Gabby put her Norwegian class to good use. She put the car into reverse and slammed the pedal, the car kicking up snow and tires screeched on the ground.

"Hey, that didn't sound good, what was that?"

"I think we were followed," Gabby told him. She slammed the car into drive. "There's going to be a jet waiting for us right? Because I can get us there-" She slammed the breaks and both girls screamed when someone landed on the hood of the car.

"Kaia! Gabby! Talk to me here!" Gabby ducked and covered covered her head as the man tried breaking the windshield. There was a loud crack as it started to splinter. Gabby pulled her seatbelt off as Nathan and Kaia followed suit.

"Daddy? There's someone on the car," Kaia called out as Gabby pushed her way into the backseat. "They're trying to get in!" Kaia crawled after her as the guy tried again, the glass cracking more.

"We're gonna make a run for it!" Gabby kicked the door open and grabbed Kaia around the wrist as Nathan pushed her out. Pushing Kaia in front of her she pulled Nathan out and watched as the man jumped off the hood of the car, staring at her. "Go!" Gabby yelled as they started to run. Nathan had grabbed Kaia's hand as he took off running through the snow, Gabby right behind them.

She yelped when the man had grabbed onto her hood and pulled her back. He foot slipped on some ice and she fell in front of the man. Gabby kicked at his knees and he fell with the help of the ice and Gabby quickly gained tractiona nd took off running again. The man growled and pushed himself up running after her. She ran into the busy street, weaving around the labyrinth of honking traffic, catching up with Kaia and Nathan.

"Gabby! Kaia! Nathan!" Tony yelled, not knowing they had left.

"Stark? You sound a little distressed," Stark froze when he heard Justin Hammer's voice. "Those are some reckless kids there, just running into traffic like that, leaving a car behind with some school stuff in it. How are they going to learn if they don't have-"

"Shove it Hammer," Tony growled. "If you touch one hair I will personally show you what the Iron Man suit can do."

"Idle threats, Stark, idle threats." Hammer clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as his voice slowly changed to a females. "I'd be more worried about what one of my agents is gonna do if they catch them. Of course that's all you could do is worry, since the last two time we've met I've reminded you what it's meant to be pathetically mortal." Hela hung up the call before Tony could start yelling at her again. She looked at the man who came back empty handed and ran a hand over her face. "I want those them back here, I don't care how. But make sure you bring them back alive."

* * *

Gabby took a deep breath, hunched over, trying to compose herself as Kaia leaned against Nathan. They ran for ten minutes until she somehow found she had run into several men in black suits, literally. When she turned to run they grabbed her arm, and one called her name. She stopped when she recognized the voice.

"Uncle Phil!" Kaia called out and wiggled from Nathan's grip and hugged Agent Phil Coulson tightly. They had run into some SHIELD agents on lunch.

Gabby was leaning against Phil's car as he talked on the phone with first Director Fury, then Tony. Phil walked over and handed the phone to Kaia first who grabbed and pressed it to her ear eagerly. "Daddy!"

Phil put his hand on Gabby's back and she stood up slowly, having caught her breath a little more. "That was some fast thinking you did there," Phil said to the teen. "Learning a few things by staying with the Avengers?"

"Just a few," Gabby chuckled.

Tony and Loki were standing the closest to the phone as they talked to Kaia, Steve and Clint standing on the other side of the table. Tony had had JARVIS running scans on all of Manhattan, (Manhattan is rather large, sir,) before Phil had called them.

"Gabby was really fast as she ran, I thought she was gonna lose us even though we had the headstart," Kaia was telling them of their daring escape. "She even slid across the hood of a car, they honked at us, but they didn't know why we were running. And they we ran right into Uncle Phil and co-workers."

"You guys didn't get hurt did you?" Loki asked as he patiently waited for Kaia to tell her story.

"Nope! It was like Gabby knew exactly what to do. I think she kicked the guy in the knee pretty hard" Kaia praised. Loki had let go of a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding. "I think all that time she was spending with Clint and Natasha really helped." Tony and Loki looked up at the archer and the top of his ears turned a little red.

"Well, don't worry about a thing, okay?" Tony told the younger girl. "Uncle Phil is gonna take care of you two, and we'll see you soon, alright? Then you can tell us in all the glorious details you want about how you escaped."

"Okay!" They could hear the smile on the girls face and Tony and Loki visibly relaxed. "Do you wanna talk to Gabby?"

"Please, kiddo," Tony asked. There was a shuffle then they heard a tired voice.

"Hello?" Car doors slammed in the background as they got inside of Phil's car.

"Hey marathon runner," Tony called out.

"I wish I was, then I wouldn't feel like my lungs are trying to leave my body," Gabby retaliated, leaning back in the front seat. She looked int he mirror and saw Nathan wrap an arm around Kaia's shoulders. "I'm gonna feel this all in the morning, I know I am."

"That just means a little more training is needed," Clint told her, and Gabby groaned.

"We're proud of you," Tony told her seriously. "There are a thousand and one ways that could have played out back there."

"I try not to think about it," Gabby told him softly.

"We have some things that we'll tell you when you get here." They didn't want to say it over the phone in case Kaia could hear it. "I'd say you earned that weekend stay in Malibu now."

"You are so lucky I don't have class tomorrow."

* * *

Nathan and Kaia held hands as they walked into one of SHIELD's offices behind Phil and Gabby. They knew that Tony wouldn't be happy that they had made the pit stop instead of going straight to the airport, but knew that Uncle Phil still had to follow orders. They walked inside one of the waiting rooms and Phil handed them a bottle of water each.

"I'll be right back, kay? Then we'll get you out to Malibu before they call here again." Gabby chuckled a little as Kaia nodded. A few minutes later the door opened and Nick Fury walked in.

"Kaia, we meet again," Fury stated and then eyed Nathan. The teen almost let go of Kaia's hand when caught under the one eyed gaze. "Well, well, I finally get to meet the infamous Gabriella Potts," Fury walked over and stuck out his hand, of which Gabby shook with a confused look. "Agent Coulson talks about you all the time."

"Makes more sense now," Gabby muttered.

"I heard that you three had quite the afternoon adventure today," he pulled a seat over to them and crossed a leg as he sat down.

"Do my Dad's know you're talking to us?" Kaia asked. Fury should have known that Tony and Loki would train her.

"I'm not going to ask anything that you didn't already tell them."

"That's a no." Kaia crossed her arms a little. "But okay, we'll tell you." Fury raised a eyebrow.

Kaia started to retell the story of how her extremely brave cousin had noticed the Hammer suits at their home, and then drove off as they talked to Tony. Of how when they saw Justin Hammer and the man in black tried to attack them, Gabby quickly made sure they got away first, and they ran, almost as fast as Captain America. Gabby had even jumped over a couple of cars, (Gabby quickly corrected her little cousin, telling him she slid so they wouldn't get run over,) until they ran right into Uncle Phil.

Phil has slipped into the room as Kaia finished her harrowing storytelling, and Gabby was blushing slightly from the praise.

"It all happened so fast," Gabby said to Fury. "Really, I don't know what was going on, and I kind of don't want to. I just wanna make sure that we get on a plane and down to the Malibu house."

Fury had listened without interrupting once then nodded and stood up. "Sounds good. Agent Coulson will take you to the quinjet that's waiting on the roof. You'll be there in a matter of hours." Kaia's eyes had gotten big. She had always wanted to ride in one of the quinjets, but couldn't since she was always told that they were for Avengers missions only. Gabby looked a little queasy.

* * *

Tony and Loki were the first to spot the black car pull up the driveway with Phil and the kids. Kaia jumped out of the car with Gabby quickly on her heels. Tony and Loki reached the first floor as the girls ran inside.

"Daddy!" She called out to the two men and Loki wrapped his arms around her first. Gabby ran past the two men and down the hall as Phil and Nathan walked in. "Gabby doesn't feel good," Kaia made a face.

"It seems that the ride in the quinjet didn't agree with her," Phil filled in.

"She's usually knocked out when she's on the jet," Tony supplied as he pulled Kaia into a tight hug.

"She spent half the flight talking to some guy," Kaia leaned back in Tony's arms and both Tony and Loki looked at her. "She was using her phone to video chat with some guy, who she claimed was just a friend, but we couldn't hear what he was saying."

"It must have been one of your phones," Phil said to Tony. "I couldn't get any information from it to find out who this guy was."

"For once I'm upset that I locked SHIELD out of my tech," Tony pouted a little.

"I can tell you his name," Nathan blinked when four sets of eyes turned towards him. "Her room is just down the hall from the one I stay in at the Tower."

"Mortals," Loki grumbled under his breath.

* * *

Gabby slowly stepped out the bathroom, a little color having come back to her face, and held a towel to her forehead. She stopped when saw Loki standing in front of her, looking down at her. "They snitched, didn't they?"

"Afraid so, darling niece," Loki wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She felt a refreshing force slide through her body, curing her very upset stomach.

"Are they planning a sneak attack?" Gabby dropped her head a little.

"Plotting, I'm sure," Loki told her as he started to rub her shoulders a little. He spotted Tony and Phil peeking around the corner.

"He's still getting used to everything, it's only been like ten years, and now this," Gabby groaned a little. "We had a long talk about stuff too, and I don't want them to rehash that." Tony's eyes had widened a little. "It's all moving slow, which is good, for both of us, because obviously he's still trying to work out those feelings for Peggy, and I can understand that." She blinked a little when Loki had stopped rubbing her shoulders.

"Star and stripes? Really?" Gabby dropped her head when she heard Tony's voice.

"I thought you already knew!" Gabby pointed at Tony and his eyes widened in mock innocence. "You can't say anything to him!"

"Me? I don't know what you're talking about, except that you're dating someone old enough to be your grandfather!" Tony retaliated.

"Do you think you could my new cards signed?" Phil asked her.


	3. Chapter 3

Gabby was on her back with her arm over her face as she tried to sleep off the air sickness. Tony had told Steve that she was back and she was sick and he volunteered immediately to check on her. Somehow Tony managed to hold back his smiles until Steve was gone from the room. Now he sat in his lab watching the security feed into the main living room.

Steve approached Gabby slowly and gently shook his shoulder. Tony started laughing and fell out of his chair when Gabby's hand had shot up, smacking Steve in the nose.

"Oh my- Steve!" Gabby sat up and put her hands on the sides of his face and turned his head to look for any damage. "I'm sorry! I thought you might have been Uncle Tony or uncle Loki."

"Not that I'd recommend doing that to them either," he smiled at her a little and her features softened a little. He sniffed a little and put a finger under nose. "No damage, not that you didn't give it your best shot."

Tony was trying to catch his breath and pulled himself up off the floor and saw that Steve had wrapped an arm around Gabby's shoulders and pulled her into him. He kissed her cheek and he swore that both of them were blushing. As he wiped a tear away from laughing he changed the camera to see that Kaia had fallen asleep with her head in Nathan's lap, who had fallen asleep with his head on the back of the couch they were sitting on. He raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"Did they tell you it wasn't Hammer that you saw yesterday?" Steve and Gabby were leaning back against the couch, Gabby's eyes closed.

"Yeah," she nodded a little. "Someone named Hela?" She felt Steve nod. "But I don't understand much about her. I wasn't really around when she was tormenting you guys."

"She didn't show up often, but she made her intentions know, kind of." Gabby raised an eyebrow as she opened her eyes to look at him. "The only thing we know for certain is that she was after Kaia, and apparently still is."

"Hasn't it been like ten years, though?" Gabby questioned. She was glad that she was not a superhero, she could never understand villains.

"Everything we know about her motives or movements is little to nothing. The only thing we do know is that she is Thor and Loki's sister, and watches over the souls of the dead," Steve shrugged a little. "I'd be a little worried if she targeted all three of you though."

"I guess I'll just have to stay here," Gabby smiled a little, shyly. "Where I know that there's a hero or two to watch over me." Steve blushed a little but pulled Gabby tighter into his chest.

"You're very own super soldier to watch out for you."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," They jumped and turned when Clint walked through the room. "You're going to be paying for this in training. Both of you."

Tony found Loki out by the pool and wrapped his arms around Loki's waist, dropping his head on his shoulder. "Darling, can I-"

"No," Loki cut him off and Tony blinked.

"How did you know I was even talking about sex?" Tony had to ask.

"You only ever call me darling when you want something, or have bad news to tell me," Loki turned his head slightly to look at Tony. "We have been together now for almost 15 years, I think I know a little something about you."

There was a cleared throat behind them and the couple turned to see Nathan standing there, cheeks a little red. "So while I didn't mean to hear any of that," Nathan cleared his throat a little, "Clint sent me out here to get you two because food is almost ready." The older men raised an eyebrow at the teen when he didn't walk away right away.

"There is a burning question furrowing behind your eyes," Loki said to him.

"Well, you two have been together, like you said for almost 15 years, and I had to wonder about something," Nathan rubbed the back of his head. "You two don't look like you've aged a day, in fact none of the Avengers do."

Loki chuckled a little and pulled away from Tony, who pouted. He pat Nathan on the head as he headed inside. "It's all in the apples, and Iddun's recipes." Nathan blinked and looked at Tony, who shrugged a little.

"Ancient, guarded Asgardian secrets. I'm not complaining," Tony said he followed suit, walking in for food. Of course Tony knew, he had been with Loki when they had received the golden apples as a gift from Odin and Frigga. And if he got to stay this devilishly handsome for a while, then he'd eat as many apple creations Loki could come up with.

Loki wandered down the stairs as he yawned and saw Tony sitting in a chair while he worked on a blueprint that could have been for the Iron Man suit. Loki waved his hand over the door and it unlocked allowing him in. "It's late," Tony turned at Loki's voice.

"Yeah, I just had some ideas and I wanted to get them recorded before I forgot them," Tony said turning back to the blueprints. Loki walked over and leaned his head on top of Tony's. "You didn't buy that did you?"

"Not in the slightest. Your mind seems troubled," Loki had started to rub his shoulders a little.

"It's nothing, which you of course will know is a lie." Loki nodded. "This just isn't how I had wanted everyone to be gathered her for the holidays. Tense and on the look out for an attack."

"It's how the Avengers usually spend every holiday," Loki informed him. "This is nothing new."

"Well, it's never really been this personal before," Tony countered, sighing. Loki frowned a little as he watched Tony closely.

"Are you bothered by Hela's words?" He know that Tony had tried to hide it when they heard Hela's voice again. When she had told him that he could do nothing to help his family, because he was mortal, with no powers, unlike his lover and child. "They hold no merit nor truth," Loki turned the chair was in around to face him. "You have proven time and again that there is nothing that would stop you to defend this family, Avengers included. She is full of words, using them to bring about the little bit of weakness in our amour that she would need."

"Yeah, I know," Tony sighed a little then smiled softly up at Loki. "Just the idle wonderings of a genius."

"Sir, I thought I would inform you that Mr Black is awake," JARVIS interrupted them.

"Nathanial?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You get back to bed, you're still tired," Tony stood up and started to usher him out of the lab. "I'll go check on the kid, I'll be up in a little bit, okay?" Loki turned the eyebrow to Tony, but the smalelr man merely kissed his cheek. "Go." Loki sighed as they both walked up the stairs, but Loki kept going as Tony walked into the main room to see Nathan standing by the window.

"Bit late for teenagers to be up isn't it?" Nathan jumped a little when he heard Tony's voice.

"Bit late for anyone to be up isn't it?" Nathan retaliated in his worn t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I don't sleep sometimes," Tony shrugged and walked over to stand next to the boy. "So what's keeping you up? Surely not the same things that keep me up at night."

"I just couldn't sleep," Nathan kicked at nothing with his socked feet. Tony watched the kid for a minute.

"Come on down," Tony offered and Nathan looked at him in confusion. "Down to my lab," he clarified. "You know you're way around cars, well, I've got a couple of cars down there just begging to be looked at." Nathan's eyes lit up a little and Tony chuckled, seeing the inner engineer in the kid.

"You're serious? I mean, you don't let anyone in your personal labs." Nathan knew his stuff. Tony couldn't deny that his mothers had raised him in a right proper young teenager. Tony had to stop himself from laughing sometimes when he thought about Kaia and Nathan. A girl being raised by two men and a boy being raised by two women? It was like fate was having a funny day.

"You're gonna turn this prestigious invitation down?" Nathan's eyes widened a little and he shook his head. Tony rolled his eyes and started to head back down the stairs with the boy right behind him.

Loki and Kaia stepped into the lab, eyebrows raised, and look at the two men in the room. Nathan had fallen asleep underneath one of Tony's cars, oil and grease covering most of his clothes, while Tony had fallen asleep inside of the backseat of the car, legs hanging over the door.

"I think they were bonding?" Even Kaia sounded skeptical of her own words.

"I think that your father was getting free labor," Loki corrected. He walked over and pushed Tony's leg until it fell inside the car and Tony slipped off the seat and onto the floor. He yelped and the car jerked and Nathan flew up, hitting his head on frame of the car. He fell onto his back again and started to moan. "And there wasn't even any alcohol involved."

"Not for lack of thinking about it," Tony grumbled.

Kaia shook her head and pulled Nathan out from under the car. "You're absolutely filthy," she looked him up and down. "You can't come to breakfast like this."

"Use the shower in the bathroom," Tony's hand appeared from over the car door and he pointed towards the private bathroom.

"And what about you?" Loki asked, leaning over to look at the inventor.

"I'm not covered in car crap," Tony retaliated. Kaia had helped Nathan up and looked at her dirty hands. There wasn't a spot to wipe it on Nathan so she walked over and wiped her hands on the front of Tony's shirt. "Well, I wasn't." Kaia's eyes widened a little when Tony started to sit up and she tried to jump back but he managed to grab her shoulder.

"No! I don't want sweaty, dirty Daddy germs on me!" She tried to wiggle away but Tony grabbed onto her arms as he stood up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up and into his chest, twisting back and forth as she she squealed.

"I am not sweaty," Tony said. "And I wasn't dirty until someone decided to make me."

"You always get sweaty when you're working in your lab." She whined then looked at Loki and held out her arms. "Help meeeeeeee."

Loki took a step back and smirked at them. "I have taken my shower this morning, and I prefer to not have to take more than one shower in a two hour window. I'm sorry, my daughter, but alas I must leave you to your fate." Kaia started to pout even as she pushed at Tony's arms.

"I took my shower too!" Kaia scrunched up her face. She suddenly went limp in Tony's arms and his eyes widened a little as he stumbled forward. Kaia's feet hit the ground and she managed to pull away from Tony and he caught his balance again.

Loki watched her, taking a step to the side when she got closer. "Don't even think about it," he warned her. Kaia suddenly launched herself at him, wrapping herself tightly around his waist, and Tony started to laugh. Kaia reached a hand up and smeared the rest of the grease on Loki's cheek. His eyes widened a little and Kaia let go, running back over to the car.

"I'm not saving you," Tony announced, still standing in the backseat of the car. "Hey, hey!" Kaia climbed in the car and stood behind him, using him as a shield.

Gabby watched with a smile from the top of the stairs. She had come to see what was taking them all so long to come for breakfast, when they had sent Loki and Kaia down in the first place. She jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder and smiled when she saw Steve take a seat next to her.

"What's going on down here?" He returned her smile before looking in the lab. Loki was trying to reach for Kaia and Tony was trying to get away from both of them. Dirty rags were being thrown around and they thought they heard Tony yelling something about his car.

"Well, as far as I can tell, Kaia got Tony dirty, who then got her dirty, who then got Loki dirty. And now this little messed up family is out for revenge." Gabby chuckled a little.

"Who got Kaia dirty?" Steve asked.

"I think it was Nathan," Gabby offered. "I saw him wander into the bathroom when I can down here. I think the boys were working on the car and fell asleep." At that moment Nathan had stepped out of the bathroom with some new clothes borrowed from Tony on, and towel drying his hair. "Oh, this should be good."

Nathan looked over at the three and they stopped to look at him. "He's clean!" Kaia suddenly pointed at Nathan and his eyes widened.

"I didn't do anything!" He threw himself back towards the bathroom.

"JARVIS!" Tony yelled and the bathroom door shut in time for Nathan to smack into it full force.

"That looked like it hurt," Steve muttered a little. Gabby chuckled a little and leaned against his side. He watched her face as she watched the family in the lab. He loved how utterly expressive her face always was, and how her eyes shone when she was happy or laughing. He bit his lip a little and leaned in kissing her cheek.

Gabby blinked a little then turned to look at him and took his hand. "What was that for?" Steve shrugged a little and Gabby chuckled a little. "I guess I'll have to return the favor." She leaned in for his cheek and Steve suddenly turned, cupping her cheek, letting their lips meet. Gabby blinked but smiled and closed her eyes, leaning into Steve's hand and lips.

"Ewwwwwww," They jumped apart at the voice that was just down the stairs. "Uncle Steve and Gabby are kissing!" Kaia had her face scrunched up in mock disgust, the other three men standing behind her.

"Thank god we're not related by blood," Tony said, not bothering to hide his devious smile. "Then I'd have to be related to Spangles here." Tony grunted when Loki elbowed his chest, even though he shared the same smile.

"How is there no privacy in this huge house!" Gabby exclaimed as they both turned red.

"I think that you were actually spying on us first," Nathan told her.

"Yes, we came out to find you two sitting on the stairs," Loki completed.

"I did not condone any public displays of affection," Tony pointed at them.

"Again?" The looked up at the door to see Clint standing there. "Because yesterday wasn't enough to try and make me sick?" He threw up his hand and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve groaned a little as Tony fixed his tie for him. Loki was sitting on the couch with Kaia and Nathan watching with interest. "I still don't know why I'm doing this."

"Because you two need an honest to goodness date," Tony told him and adjusted the black jacket Steve was wearing. "Also, I think Clint might kill you if he sees anything else between you two." Tony took a step back. "You clean up well, Rogers."

Steve looked down a little. He was wearing black trousers, with a cream colored button down shirt, think black tie, and a black blazer jacket.

"So, here are the rules," Tony leaned against the arm of the couch by the trio. "You're not allowed to come home before 11, unless it's to come home for- Oph!" Tony fell onto the couch when Loki hit his side.

"The rules are to go and have a nice night," Kaia filled in. "And get some of the most expensive stuff on the menu since it's on Daddy."

"And Happy will take you anywhere else you two want to go." They glanced over to see Pepper and Phil coming down the stairs. Pepper looked at Steve and smiled. "Tony, you actually did a good job, he looks really good."

"If I'm good at something it's making someone look good," Tony had pushed himself up to sit next to Loki. "What about you Potts? You and Agent get the girl looking good?" Phil rolled his eyes a little.

"Can I change to the flats?" Gabby's voice called down the stairs. "I'm really not comfortable in heels like you are Aunt Pepper."

"No, not get down here," Pepper looked up. They could heard the slow, slightly unsteady, click of heels and Gabby came down the stairs, gripping the railing with one hand. Steve looked up froze when he saw Gabby coming down the stairs. She wore a knee length cream dress that flared a little at the waist, with a high neck and no sleeves. She held onto a small purse in her other hand as she tried to walk down the stairs in cream ankle boots. Her blonde hair had been gathered into a messy bun with hair sticks.

Gabby let out a breath when she reached the bottom of the steps and relaxed a little. She looked over at Steve and smiled, trying not to blush. Kaia scrunched up her face a little and Loki suddenly wrapped his arm around her head, pulling her face into his side to keep her from talking. He missed Tony.

"If you two don't have babies the world will be deprived of the second most good looking children ever," Tony said. Steve and Gabby looked down as Pepper glared at Tony. "What? The first is obviously any kid that comes from Loki and me," Tony grinned.

Loki let go of Kaia as she started to laugh. "I often wonder to myself why I put up with you and your father.

"Because one day you looked at Daddy and said, 'That's the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with,'" Kaia smirked up at Loki and Nathan snorted once.

"And then you two got romantic," Nathan continued. And for some reason you decided that you would bring a child into the chaos that is your lives. Not that I'm complaining," Nathan smirked a little.

"You have no one to blame but yourself."

Pepper had pushed Gabby over to Steve and he held of his arm for her. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his. "Now just remember to have fun," Phil was telling them. "I promise that only Pepper or I will call if there's an emergency."

"We won't let Tony get near the phone," Pepper promised. Steve opened the door for Gabby, ever the gentleman, and they left.

Tony groaned and let his head drop on the couch. "They are the slowest moving, best looking, straight couple ever!"

* * *

Much to Steve and Gabby's relief, Happy had decided to not bring the limo and used the black town car. When Happy pulled up to their destination Steve looked out and grinned. "Mrs Potts had decided to pick out the destination," Happy explained. They sat outside of an authentic looking 40's Diner. Gabby chuckled a little and smiled.

Steve got out then hurried over to the other side and opened the door for Gabby, taking her hand. "I feel we might be a little over dressed."

"It's not about what you wear, but what company you have," Steve smiled at her. "I am of the opinion that I'm with some of the best company to have." Gabby bit her lip a little and they walked inside.

"At least you'll be more comfortable here though, and you can tell me how it differs from what you were used too," Gabby smiled. They sat in a booth near the back so that everyone who walked in wouldn't look at them because they recognized Steve, or were eying their clothes.

"You know what we should do sometime," Gabby pointed at him while she sipped on her strawberry malt. "Walk down along the beach, no shoes or anything, no people around, it is the most relaxing thing."

Steve raised an eyebrow with a smile on his lips. "Do you do it often, yourself?"

"All the time," Gabby nodded. "There aren't many beaches in New York, but when I come here with Uncle Tony and Uncle Loki I try to go every night."

"Well, why don't we go tonight then," Steve suggested. "I'm always up for trying something new."

"You didn't used to be," Gabby chuckled a little. "You're starting to fit in quite nicely Steve Rogers."

"Well, everyone loves Captain America," Steve shrugged a little.

"That's true, but I'm not talking about the Captain." Steve raised an eyebrow. "I'm talking about you," she poked his chest lightly. "The man that is Steve Rogers." She smiled and leaned over placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'm gonna go use the powder room, then we can get sand in our toes that will never go away."

Steve blinked as she walked away, then smiled. The waitress came over and he paid her, tipping her generously and leaned back waiting for Gabby to come back. When she came walking back towards the booth a man had suddenly gotten up from the bar and almost ran into her. She wobbled unsteadily on her shoes and almost fell into the man, him grabbing her arms at the last minute. She started to apologize when her face went blank. Steve furrowed his brows as he watched.

"Gun!" Someone from the booth by them screamed and the diner erupted into chaos. The man pulled Gabby around as he pulled out the gun he had been trying to hide. Some diners started to run for the door as others sunk to the floor or under tables. Steve leaped from his seat and over to the counter where one of the waitresses was ducking.

"Escuse me ma'am, if you could just hand me one of those plates?" She looked up at Steve with wide eyes then nodded, handing him a plate with shaking hands.

"Hey! You!" Steve looked over and saw the man looking at him. "What do you think you're doing? Get down with the others!"

"Son, just put down the gun," Steve held up his hands, leaving the plate ont he counter, but still within reach.

"I didn't want no trouble, you think I wanted trouble?" The man was talking very fast, and was incredibly twitchy. Steve had to think that he was either drunk or on drugs, and knew that the situation could deteriorate very quickly. "This broad here," he started waving the gun towards Gabby and she flinched back, hoping it didn't discharge, "had to go walk into me."

"We can make it so there is no trouble," Steve tried again. Some of the people started to whisper, a few people picking up that Captain America was there, he was actually in the diner. This didn't sit very well with the man.

"I ain't going no where, I just wanted to get out and- Quit moving!" He jerked Gabby's arm. She hadn't been moving and Steve could see how on edge he was. He made a snap decision and grabbed the plate, throwing it towards them. It his the guys head and fell, crashing on the floor. The man seemed to blink before collapsing in a faint, taking Gabby with him. She squeaked when she fell, trying to grab onto one of the stools.

Steve ran over and quickly kicked the gun away as he grabbed Gabby's hand, the people of the diner starting to clap and cheer. He helped her up and she sat down on the stool, Steve crouching in front of her. "Are you alright?"

Gabby nodded, blinking a little. "A little flustered, but I'm okay. Although," she lifted her feet and pulled the boots off, "there are going right in the trash." Steve blinked then started to laugh. Gabby smiled at him as she held up the boots. Steve suddenly put his hands on her cheeks and moved forward kissing her. She blinked then smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, shoes still dangling from her hand.

When they pulled apart she started to blush when the diner seemed to cheer even louder. She knew that people were taking pictures. "There are going to be some pretty interesting headlines in the morning," she said quietly.

"I don't care right now," Steve smiled at her. They heard the sirens of the cops as they pulled up and Steve helped Gabby stand up and walked over the unconscious body. "I think I'd rather take a walk. Gabby started to laugh and held onto his arm.

* * *

"What are they doing out there?" Tony stood at the window and looked out at Steve and Gabby walking along the waters edge.

"If one were to guess," Loki spoke up from his book, "walking in the sand, and being stalked by a crazy man."

"I'm not crazy," Tony defended. "They are, it's midnight and they're by the water. Do you know how cold that water is?"

"I'm guessing you do, and no I don't want to know How you know," Loki could feel Tony's devious smirk.

"It's cold," Tony said turning back to look out the window. Gabby was starting to push Steve towards the water, his back to the it, and she smirked and started to run when a waved hit the shore, getting him up to his knees. Steve jumped forward, away from the water and ran after her, quickly catching her around the waist. Gabby started to kick her legs, laughing while Steve headed back for the water.

"Anthony," Loki called out and Tony's head turned sharply. "Are you jealous?" Loki smirked and looked up over the top of his book.

"What?" Tony's eyes widened a little. "Jealous? Of what? Two crazy straight people? Psssssht," He waved his hand.

"Of young, albeit mortal, love," Loki raised an amused eyebrow. "We didn't necessarily get the chance to go 'romping' through an ocean-"

"Not that I could see you romping anywhere, actually," Tony commented. "Unless it was in bed.

"Not my point," he pointed at the man.

"I for one think that we are still spry, and young, enough to do anything that those two can do," Tony said as he walked away from the window. Loki had gone back to his book, trying to ignore the way that Tony was approaching.

"Hmmm, yes, perhaps I am," Loki smirked a little and turned the page in his book. "You should get some rest though, all that working late at night had made you very sore, and un-spry like."

"You torture me so," Tony sighed and flopped on the bed on his back.

"No!" Gabby shrieked. "Put me down!" She laughed as she struggled in Steve's grip. "I don't wanna get wet!"

"And I did?" Steve said through his grin. "I'm not walking around this beach as the only one wet." He watched the waves and walked a little deeper into the water, dropping her as a wave crashed up and into the shore, drenching most of Gabby's body. She shrieked and started to run back towards shore, right behind Steve, who had managed to miss most of the water.

Steve had pulled off his, mostly dry, jacket and wrapped it around her suddenly, using it to pull her closer to him. She huddled into the jacket, and into his side and laughed a little. "Now I'm really going to have sand that will never go away." She smiled up at Steve, then reached up and flipped some of his hair back in place. Steve leaned down and kissed her gently and she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'd say this was a successful date," she grinned. They started to head back towards the mansion, noting that Tony and Loki's lights were still on, but no longer did the see the shadow standing there watching them. "It only took, what, almost 3 years to happen?"

"I don't think that's going to happen again," Steve smiled down at her, keeping an arm around her waist.

* * *

"Sir," Tony rolled over in bed, pulling the blankets up over his head. "There is a phone call for you sir." Loki kicked Tony's side when he tried pulling the blanket away from him. "It's Director Fury."

"You're not making a good point, JARVIS," Tony muttered.

"He requests to talk to both you and Captain Rogers." Tony blinked open one eye. "Just you two."

"Oh this should be good." Tony groaned and pushed his face into his pillow.

"Please talk to the obnoxious man in some other room," Loki said from his side of the bed.

"I heard that," Fury's voice growled over the speaker system.

"Pity," Loki snorted a little.

"I didn't say take the call JARVIS." Tony still refused to get up.

"I'm sorry sir, Captain Rogers answered it." A poor excuse in Tony's eyes.

"I need to talk to both of you, now," Fury said again, his tone brooking no argument.

Tony groaned then rolled up and stretched. He looked out and saw the sun was just above the horizon. "Oh, it is way to early for this. It's two days til Christmas, I didn't do anything wrong." Tony slipped on an undershirt and his sweats before leaving the room. He figured if Steve was up he'd be in either the living room, or the party room.

He saw Steve sitting on the couch in the living room, looking at the paper, with three others sitting on the table. They could see Fury glaring face on the screen on the wall. "What is so important, this early in the morning Fury?" Steve looked up then threw a paper at him. He blinked and grabbed it, then unfolded it and his eyes widened a little.

"Is that reason enough to get you up?" Fury asked, his arms crossed.

Tony stared at the headline and the picture then started to laugh. "I fail to see how this is an emergency, and how this concerns me. This should actually be a good thing." Tony held up the paper to face Fury, pointing at the picture of Steve and Gabby kissing. "For one, it isn't me making headlines, and two, this is good publicity! Who doesn't want to see that the Avengers have found love?"

Steve groaned and dropped his head on the back of the couch. "Because, it's a story in every paper, even overseas!" Fury told Stark. There are pictures circulating in magazines, and the press are no doubt at your doorstep now, wanting to know just what the hell is going on. And that is an answer that I'm going to get before they do!"

"Ah, so you're upset that you weren't told first," Tony deduced, walking over and plopping down next to Steve. "So that you couldn't control the information yourselves?"

"We don't need this information out there for anyone to know about," Fury argued. "The Avengers aren't celebrities, they had enemies, and what they do is not for everyone to know about."

"Got that," Tony commented and threw the paper on the table. "So why are you calling us all in a huff if the damage is already done? There's not much I can do without causing a scene and making us look bad."

"I called to make sure that it doesn't happen again- You, Stay." Fury suddenly said, looking past the two men. They both turned to see a very shocked looking Gabby.

"She doesn't actually have anything to do with this," Steve started. "She didn't know-"

"She is the other third to this media triangle," Fury cut him off.

"How am I involved in this?" Tony raised a hand. "I'm not even in the picture!"

"They know that she's staying with you, they know she's the niece to the Vice-President of Stark Industries, you are somehow always involved in this Stark," Fury corrected him. Tony leaned back and pouted slightly.

"In our defense," Gabby spoke up quietly, "Steve was acting bravely to the crazy guy with the gun."

"Crazy guy? Gun?" Tony sat up and turned to look between Steve and Gabby, then to Fury. "That's something you should have led off with. I think I need the full story now."

"There will be no more public dates," Fury ignored Tony. "Not until this all blows over and we can make sure that our enemies aren't going to use this against the Avengers."

"Um," Gabby raised her hand like a child in school. "I still have classes after this holiday break. I have one more semester and I'm supposed to be getting two degrees."

"We're already working on that," Fury did not sound happy, but he wasn't yelling at her. "There's no doubt that the media already knows everything about you, and what you do outside of this house." Fury sighed a little. "I thought I only had to deal with Stark," Fury sighed and the line went dead.

Gabby bit her lip and started to pay with her fingers when Tony turned to look at her. "Wanna make a bet on when Pepper is going to call?" Tony smirked as he eyes widened. She let out a gasp and ran from the room, most likely to try and think of an excuse for Pepper. Steve went to follow her but Tony grabbed onto his arm and pulled him down onto the couch.

"I might as well do the fatherly talk thing while you're here," Tony said when Steve turned to look at him. "You won't want to be in the room when Pepper calls anyway, trust me. If you two are actually gonna get serious then who better to get the talk from?"

Steve stared at him. "I think I'd prefer Loki."

"Hey, since I only found out about this a couple days ago, I think I'm allowed to question what's going to be happening under my roof." Tony turned, laying an arm over the back of the couch. Steve eyed him closely, knowing what Tony was like. "I think I'm about to have a serious moment here."

"Should JARVIS be recording this?" Steve asked, now almost afraid of what could come. He'd seen Tony serious before, and he was a force to be reckoned with.

"So I know it's been a while, but I still gotta ask, you're not substituting anyone for Peggy right? Cause I mean-"

"No," Steve cut him off quickly. "No, that will never happen."

"Well, good, because I mean, I might have to play dad and beat you if that happened," even Tony's eyes were serious. Then he shrugged and pushed himself up. "Just don't have sex where I'll know about it. i want plausible deniability when it comes to Pepper. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can't get some early morning sex myself."

"Too much, Tony," Steve groaned.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony looked at the readings on the screen as Nathan slowly tweaked some sensor's in a prototype gauntlet. "That should be good right there," Tony looked over and the teenager stopped. Tony could see that the kid had natural talent when it came to understanding how things went together, and how they worked that he couldn't stop him when his eyes lit up every time he saw one of the Iron Man suits. When Gabby and Kaia managed to talk Loki and Steve into doing last minute Christmas shopping, Nathan had begged Tony to let him hide in the lab. Tony took sympathy on him.

"So, now there's a secondary repulsor in here that will allow you to fire at enemies while still stabilizing yourself in the air?" Nathan looked up at Tony, he had a slight look of pride in his eyes.

"Exactly. I'm not sure how it's going to work in a real world application yet, but it'll be handy." Tony walked over to start connecting the gauntlet to some wires so JARVIS could start running diagnostics on it. "Testing usually happens in the most ridiculous situations."

"Sounds about right." Nathan nodded and chuckled a little. Both men suddenly straightened when the temperature in the room rose, and the hairs on the back on their necks rose. Nathan's eyes widened a little when he looked past Tony and the inventor turned quickly. He quickly grabbed the nearest thing he could use as a weapon, which was a metal bar left over from the frame of one of the cars.

"Anthony, I'm offended," Hela placed a hand on her chest as Tony held up the metal bar, standing in front of Nathan. "We're practically family." Tony snorted.

"Yeah, sure. I was pretty sure that family didn't try to kill and kidnap each other," Tony snarked.

"Well, you did enter into a family of gods," Hela remind him. "And how does that make you feel? Being the one mortal? Knowing that you can only travel to Asgard with an escort, that your lover-" she spat the word out, "-and daughter are stronger than you, that the only good you'll ever be is with a suit of armour that-" She ducked when Tony took a swing at her head.

"I'd get the hell out of my house if I were you," Tony said, voice dangerously low. "I don't need the suit to defend."

"No? Hm," she tapped her chin a little. "Let's see what we can't do to change that thinking. I think I'll just go upstairs to your daughter's room first, for I know-" she grabbed the bar with one hand when Tony swung it again, -"exactly where it is."

Tony glared but didn't let go of the bar. Hela used it and turned Tony abruptly and then threw him against a wall, breaking the pipe in half when he had refused to let go and she crushed it in her grip. She looked at the jagged edge and smirked before suddenly plunging it into Tony's shoulder and into the wall.

Tony screamed in pain as his hand flew up instantly to the bar. Hela grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "You are weak, in-" She stopped talking when there as a charge and a blast of energy hit the wall beside the two of them. Both looked back to see that Nathan had taken the prototype gauntlet for the suit and had equipped it, looking at Hela.

"That was just a warning shot," Nathan warned as he watched them. They could hear the charging whine as the replusor in the hand started to glow again. "Next one won't miss."

Hela let go of Tony's chin and turned towards Nathan. Tony tried to reach out and grab her arm but she walked out of his reach. "Such misguided bravery, inspired truly. You have no idea what you're about to step into though, little boy."

"I know that you're not gonna get out of here without a fight," Nathan fired back.

"Hela," Loki growled out and she turned to see Loki and Steve standing just inside the lab. "Don't you have souls you're supposed to be watching?"

"I like to visit those that will have a special spot by my side," Hela purred out to her younger brother. "You never let me visit, and then I get easily offended," she was almost pouting. "and then I get angry because I think that you don't like me, and you're keeping me from seeing my family." She sighed a little. "And then I wonder why you keep trying to stall me." She suddenly kicked a desk to the side and reached over grabbing onto Gabby's shirt collar and hauling her up.

"Let her go!" Tony yelled out. He tried not to cry out when he jerked, trying to dislodge the bar.

"What is precious, Uncle, Tony, going to do about it?" Hela snorted. "Her would be lover over there will always have a better chance at saving her than you will. He'd have a better chance at saving you then you could save yourself."

Loki stepped towards her and Hela threw Gabby into Loki, pushing them back into Steve. "This isn't the right time anyway," Hela sighed, waving her hand around. "I just needed a distraction." She disappeared as Steve had pushed Gabby behind him, keeping a hand on her arm.

There was a clang as Nathan's knees seemed to give out and he fell to the ground with the gauntlet still on, eyes wide. Steve and Gabby jog over to him As Loki hurries over to Tony. Tony groans a little and shut his eyes. "You guys moved pretty quick," Tony bit out. "Clint must be up with Kaia?" Loki nodded as he inspected the bar and Tony.

Steve had picked up Nathan as Gabby pulled the gauntlet off. "Consider yourself half a superhero now," Gabby told him as they moved him to a chair.

"I don't know how you guys do it," Nathan muttered, trying to hide his shaking hands. "I mean, when Tony- Tony!" Nathan turned suddenly tried to get up but Steve grabbed him before he fell.

"Don't worry, Loki can handle it," Steve told him as he eased him back into the chair. "You need to catch your wits about you first."

"If you want I can numb the area first," Loki looked at Tony before hesitantly grabbing the bar. Tony shook his head, placing his hand on the bar too.

"Nope, like a bandaid, get it out," Tony grunted a little when he shifted his feet and moved his shoulder. "Let's just do it." Loki looked uncertain, but knew he wouldn't be able to win with Tony when he was determined. After a few seconds they pulled the bar and Tony yelled out as it slid out and his knees buckled. Loki dropped the bar and grabbed Tony's waist, careful of his injury shoulder.

"Let's get you to a chair, then I shall heal-" Tony shook his head, trying to stand on his own. "Tony-"

"Nope, I'm fine," Tony shook his head and stood on shaky legs, holding a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood. "Just needs a little cleaning, and some bandages." He tried to move past Loki to get to the private bathroom.

"Tony, that's not nothing," Loki followed him. Gabby and Steve exchanged looks as they watched what was happening. Nathan started to worry at his lip with his teeth. "That needs to be healed, you've just had a piece of metal-"

"I know what happened," Tony cut him off. "I was there." He stopped at a desk and kicked open a cupboard door and bent to grab the first aid kit sitting there. "I can take care of this."

"Why are you being so stubborn over this," Loki growled a little, not understanding why Tony was acting this way suddenly. "Just let me heal it before any permanent damage has-"

"I'm not useless," Tony said tightly as he gripped the first aid kit in his hand. He walked into the bathroom and turned to looked at the others in the room. "I can take care of things." He kicked the door closed and they heard the locks engage.

Loki blinked then frowned. He turned to look at the others with a confused and helpless expression. Nathan sighed a little and slumped in the chair, feeling utterly exhausted, and starting to wonder why his six year old self had decided it would be a good idea to befriend the daughter of superheroes.

* * *

Tony growled when he dropped the roll of bandages again, then sighed and sat down on the edge of the bathtub. He rubbed his face with one hand and glanced up at the mess he was making of his bathroom. He needed the use of two hands but with a small hole in his shoulder it made moving his arm almost impossible.

His head shot up when he heard the locks at the door slide open. Nathan was standing on the other side, looking expectantly at him. "Somehow, I had an inkling this is what the bathroom would look like, I meant to tell you that last time I was in there. But then we got into a dirt fight." He walked in and the slid shut again. Nathan started picking up the dropped supplies and turned on the water grabbing a washcloth. "I'm starting to wonder about the Avengers," Nathan started as Tony watched him with a raised eyebrow. "They send a teenager in to take care of a grown man. And not just any man, but Tony Stark. I don't know who should be offended in this situation."

"What are you doing here?" Tony sighed a little. "It's obvious that JARVIS is conspiring against me by letting you here."

"Yeah, I thought I was gonna have to re-wire the door to get in here," Nathan admitted. "Turns out your AI can be a little bit of a mother hen." Nathan turned to look at him, washcloth in his hand. "I figured if you were still feeling stubborn, then I'd come in to help you. I'm pretty sure you'd rather impale your other shoulder than let Loki or Steve in here right now," Nathan held up a hand when Tony opened his mouth the talk. "I get it. Like you said before, I was there, too."

He walked over and pressed the damp cloth to Tony's shoulder, leaning in when Tony flinched back. "I think it's a little more complicated than you think," Tony looked at the teenager. "I mean, you're only 16, and-"

"Mortal," Nathan put in. Tony clamped his mouth shut when Nathan caught his eye. "You're not the only human in the world Tony. Sure you have the Iron Man suit, but that's more than what I've got going for me. And the more I stick around this insane family, the more I'm thinking I need to learn how to do Something. Clint and Natasha, well, Clint's human too, I don't know what Natasha is, I'm convinced she's not human."

"He can shoot you from 3 miles away," Tony grumbled.

"Yeah? Your point?" Nathan sighed as he grabbed the bandages. "So what if you have to use a suit? Even without the suit you're still a genius, your mind still works above the speed limit. Clint doesn't have that, he's good at shooting something because that's his thing. You, you're good at whatever the hell you want."

Tony looked at Nathan as he finished wrapping the older mans shoulder, then plopped down next to him on the tub. "I can't believe I just got a pep talk from a fresh behind the wheel teenager."

"I can't believe I just had to give a pep talk to Iron Man," Nathan muttered. "You can't make me keep doing this, I'm not part of your crazy team, you know." Tony could see the smile he was trying to hide.

"Just wait until you marry Kaia." Tony chuckled a little as the red that spread across Nathan's face. He reached over and took Nathan's wrist and looked at his palm. "Little electrical burn?"

"We didn't really finish calibrating the repulsor blast," Nathan admitted.

"Congratulations, you're officially a collaborator on the Iron Man suit," Tony let go of his hand and smirked. "And you just got your first injury because of it. You're becoming a man."

"I'll stay a boy for now, thank you very much." Nathan let out a breath and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes. "If I'm a collaborator-"

"You can't wear the suit."

* * *

"Can't I just send in the boy again?" Tony groaned as Kaia and Nathan flanked him. They were in the hallway leading to his and Loki's bedroom.

"No, you were stubborn, and that's what got you in this mess," Kaia told him. "Now stop making us act more mature than you." She held the tray that had melted chocolate in a bow.

"This is a lovers spat anyway, I don't get int he middle of those," Nathan held up the plate fresh cherries.

"Then why did you two help me make this?" Tony had to ask. He had been in the kitchen for two hours trying to figure out to melt chocolate when Kaia and Nathan came along.

"We didn't want you poisoning him on Christmas Eve," Nathan remarked. "Now, go." He kicked his butt and Tony glared at him before taking a breath and approaching the bedroom door. JARVIS opened the door slowly and Tony peeked his head in. Loki was sitting on the bed, with a raised eyebrow.

"Heeeeeey, look, I brought goodies," Tony flashed a nervous grin as he stepped inside. He tried not to let his arm shake that held the heavy bowl of cherries weighing down on his injured shoulder. "And I swear it won't kill you, not like the omelets I've tried making."

Loki let out a small sigh and walked over taking both the bowls from him and setting them on the dresser. "You are a very stubborn, and intensely stupid man sometimes," Loki told him and faced Tony.

"I've been told that a couple of times, yeah," Tony nodded. "I'm not exactly known for doing things the easy way, or right way, or intelligent way."

"Yes, I have noticed that." Loki took one of the cherries, and leaned back against the dresser dipping it in chocolate. "Also, because I am eating this does not mean that you are immediately forgiven."

"Understood, I wouldn't want that chocolate to go to waste, like the rest of it I tried to use," Tony rubbed the back of his neck a little. "I think it was a little obvious that I was being hard-headed," Loki snorted. "I might have let some anger get away from me."

"And you did exactly what I warned you about," Loki pointed at him with a cherry stem. Tony tried to find him intimidating. "You let Hela's words go to your head, and you closed yourself off to everyone else."

"She wasn't exactly the only one who has said stuff like that, but she sure made me feel it." Loki walked over and stuck a cherry in Tony's mouth.

"You are not useless, you are not weak," Loki pointed at him. "You are a good man, a strong man, a good friend, an acceptable lover, and a great father."

"Acceptable lover?" Tony raised an eyebrow as he chewed on the cherry.

"I already have to live with you, please do not make it unbearable with your ego," Loki grabbed another cherry for himself. "My point is that while you may be human, you are one of the few humans that is charged with the defense of this planet, and would give anything you had to protect your family, no matter the cost. If you were anything that Hela, or anyone else, says that you are I would not have fallen for you, stayed with you, and had a child with you."

Tony let out a breath. "First I get a pep talk form a sixteen year old, and now my man has to hit me in the feels. I just need my teenager to do something emotional now and I'll really feel like a domesticated man."

"Domesticated, I'm sure," Loki snorted. "The day you're domesticated is the day Midgard no longer needs Iron Man."

"Thank the gods that'll never happen." Tony grinned.

"Now, will you let me heal your shoulder?" Loki looked pointedly to the spots of blood that had bled through the bandage and onto Tony's shirt.

"Please, please, please," Tony moved toward Loki. "After messing about in the kitchen it hurts now. Nathan is no nurse."

"No, he's a mechanic," Loki pointed out as he slipped Tony's shirt off. He popped the cherry into his mouth and placed some fingers on Tony's shoulder. Tony was interested in the way that Loki's mouth was moving though. He barely felt the warmth of power rushing through his shoulder, and his eyes widened a little when Loki stuck his tongue out, the stem of the cherry tied in a bow.

"If we don't fuck after this, I will never buy another cherry for you ever again." Loki grinned at Tony.

"But you know how much I love them," Loki moved close to Tony, running his slender fingers over Tony's newly healed shoulder. "I love them almost as much as I love you." Loki let his other hand trail around Tony's waist, a few fingers slipping under the waist of his jeans.

"What are you willing to do to get them back?" Tony grinned as he pressed their chests together, fingers threading through his hair.

"Go to bed!" They blinked when they heard Kaia yell through the door.

"Just do quiet couple things to reaffirm your love for each other that won't keep the teenagers that sleep next to and below you awake!" Nathan threw in. "Seriously guys, it's gross."

Tony threw the door open, Loki tailing behind him, looking over Tony's shoulders as the two teens sitting outside the door. "What are you guys doing out here?" Nathan quickly put a hand in front of Kaia's eyes and looked down at the ground.

"You're shirtless." Nathan said and Tony rolled his eyes.

"We wanted to make sure that Daddy didn't mess up the cherries, and that you two made up." Kaia added, holding Nathan's hand over her eyes.

"I didn't wanna have to put sheets on the couch." Nathan added. He ophed when Tony kicked his leg with his bare foot.

Loki started to wave his hand behind Tony, but neither Kaia nor Nathan moved, and he got a feral grin on his face. He started to nuzzle Tony's neck with his nose, then moved and started to plant small kisses along his neck back to his spine. Tony shivered a little and let out a small moan.

"What did we just say!" Kaia exclaimed.

"You wanted to know what I'd do to get the cherries?" Loki whispered in Tony's ear. "Anytime you asked Can I, the answer would be yes." Tony's eyes widened. "For the next three months."

"Go bunk with Gabby," Tony stared to push them away with his foot. "It's gonna get loud, and I really don't give a damn what you think right now." Loki started to laugh as he wrapped an arm around Tony's waist.

"What if she's with Steve?" Nathan looked up then his face scrunched in disgust and he fell on his back. "I'm blind! Oh dear God, I'm blind!"

"You are not blind," Loki told him. "And don't call out to me unless you want to be." Kaia tried to pout up at her fathers but they merely met her gaze. She quickly grabbed Nathan's hand and started to drag him across the carpet and down the hall.

"Damn kids," Tony muttered as he pushed Loki back into the bedroom, kicking the door closed.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony thought he heard the bedroom door slide open, but he was too comfortable pressed into Loki's chest too care. JARVIS had thought it would be funny to lower the temperature in the house in honor of Christmas and Tony had started to freeze in the night. Loki had merely chuckled and Tony muttered something about stupid Jotun and the stupid cold as he snuggled into Loki and the blankets.

"Surprise attack!" Tony suddenly tensed when he heard Kaia's voice, waiting for her body to hit the bed like she did every Christmas morning. When nothing happened his eyes flew open and he saw that Loki had turned and had grabbed Kaia's waist, holding her up over the bed. She grinned at them.

"You are a little monster," Tony muttered as he sat up yawning. "I remember when I used to be woken up by JARVIS telling me what the weather was, and the time, and praying that it wasn't before noon."

"That was before I was here," Kaia pointed out. "Besides the point, it's Christmas morning and you two need to get up."

"And why would that be?" Loki dropped her at the end of the bed and she bounced into a sitting position.

"Surprise attack!" Natasha suddenly jumped through the door onto the bed, crashing into Tony and Loki like Kaia had intended to do.

"Because everyone came back to celebrate," Kaia leaned over them and grinned. Loki scowled and Tony pushed Natasha off and onto the floor.

"Kids and Assassins, I could do without them," Tony dropped his face into his pillow.

"Thor is talking about making food," Natasha called out as she left the room with Kaia. Tony and Loki's eyes widened.

Tony and Loki arrived downstairs, in robes and sweats, to see that Thor was in fact not cooking, but Steve and Gabby were. Natasha just grinned as she was settled in close to Clint. Bruce was sitting next to Thor, reading the paper, and Pepper and Phil were on the loveseat looking through some papers of their own. Leave it to Pepper to bring work with her on a holiday. Tony moved over to the couch that Kaia and Nathan were leaning against on the floor and sat behind the two teens.

"It's been a while since this dysfunctional family has been together," Tony smirked a little.

"Apparently we missed out on some fun though," Natasha commented and Clint rolled his eyes. "Tony, do you and Loki need a babysitter as much as Kaia and Nathan do?"

"I don't need a babysitter!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Not if you'll be taking over for Iron Man," Clint teased.

"I am still spry," Tony declared. "No one will be wearing my precious armour anytime soon."

"You just don't get quality arguing like this across the ocean," Bruce commented calmly, flipping the page of his newspaper.

"Can we open present now?" Kaia asked, not really paying attention to what anyone was saying.

"Not until the food is done!" Gabby called from the other room.

"Ah, yes, we heard about your date," Natasha called back.

"Go ahead and open presents!" Steve informed them, not wanting to talk about that night anymore. At least to anyone who wasn't Gabby.

* * *

Tony was almost asleep with his head on Loki's shoulder two hours later and Nathan and Kaia were plotting on decorating Tony with tinsel when he did. Loki had no qualms about this. The doorbell rang and Loki raised an eyebrow while Tony quickly jumped up, just a little startled.

"I didn't know that this place had a doorbell," Clint said as they all watched a movie.

"Only when JARVIS is keeping secrets," Pepper said as she got up to get the door. The rest of the room went back to watching the movie until Gabby suddenly shot up from her position against Steve and ran squealing to where Pepper has disappeared.

"Ahhh, you made it, and who is this!" Everyone ignored the movie and looked at Gabby who was now swinging a giggling baby around.

"A surprised that I swore Aunt Pepper to secrecy for," a deeper make voice chuckled and everyone leaned back to see who the man was.

"Jak!" Tony bounced up. "Jak, you have a kid! Why do you have a kid?"

"I have a bouncing baby girl," Jak corrected, as he stepped around his sister. Gabby grinned and held the girl to her chest and nuzzled their noses together. "And Keira and I adopted her." Jak was grinning.

"I fear for the child''s future," Loki commented, smiling none the less.

"It would be worse if Markus had a baby," Phil pointed out.

"I'm stealing your baby," Gabby sang as she almost skipped back Jak and sat back down next to Steve, her back against his arm as she grinned, playing with the six month old baby. "What's her name?" Steve raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend cooed and swooned over the baby.

"Gabby's biological clock," Nathan whispered to Kaia. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing.

"Her name is Ashe," Jak chuckled and then wormed his way in between Loki and Tony.

"Yours is still brat," Tony pushed against him, chuckling a little.

"We can't help but wonder why you would bring her here," Natasha spoke up. "Why bring her to be corrupted at such a young age."

"I promised Aunt Pepper," Jak shrugged a little as he slung his arms around Loki and Tony.

"Pepper, how dare you keep news about a baby from us!" Tony glanced over at Pepper trying to take Ashe from Gabby. "I'm a Great Uncle now! In so many ways!"

"Lies and propaganda," Kaia claimed. Tony pushed her head with his foot.

Gabby whined a little when Pepper was able to obtain the giggling little Ashe. Steve just watched then wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Watch out, Steve," he looked over at Clint, who was smirking. "She's gonna want a baby now." Steve started to turn a little red and Gabby threw some stray wrapping paper at his head.

"When are you two gonna have another kid? We're bored of Kaia now," Jak looked between his two Uncles. Loki raised an eyebrow at Jak.

"They tried to give it a go last night," Nathan said, smirking at Jak. Jak blinked, thought about hte sentence then quickly stood up and walked away.

"Oh gross, oh gross." Jak slipped off his jacket off and shook it out. "Not enough time has passed to be touching you after sex." Tony rolled his eyes as he closed the distance between Loki, dropped his head in the older mans lap.

"You should try having sex sometime, it's good," Tony grinned as Jak glared. "I am the best uncle ever." Loki snorted.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony and Nathan stood at the window and watching Gabby and Steve out on the balcony, while Loki and Kaia watched the two men. "What are they doing?" Kaia whispered to Loki.

"I wish I knew," Loki answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I never know why your father does anything he does."

"We're watching to make sure that nothing happens," Tony responded without turning to look at them.

"After last time they got all comfy close, we wouldn't want them to get another talk from Fury," Nathan continued.

"He's just like Daddy," Kaia suddenly said, her eyes going a little wide. Loki only snorted and smirked. "I've been best friends with my Daddy!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Tony glanced over his shoulder.

"You're crazy," Kaia frowned a little and Loki laughed.

"She's right," Loki said as Tony opened his mouth. "Remember how we met?"

"Which time? When I beat you? Yes I remember that," Tony smirked a little. "I came in with my own theme song."

"I was referring to the time I threw you out of a window," Loki countered and Tony's smile fell.

"He threw you out of a window?" Nathan turned to look at Tony. "What did you do?"

"He mouthed off to me, then told me I had performance issues," Loki responded.

"To be fair, you were trying to take over the Earth." Tony wasn't going down without a fight. Kaia and Nathan were looking back and forth from Tony to Loki, not sure if any of it was true.

"Yes, and not a single one of you knew what I was up to until it was almost too late," Loki chuckled a little. "The only thing that's changed is that now my schemes are now helping you."

"I think you're giving yourself too much credit." Tony pointed at his lover.

"Wait, you used to be evil?" Nathan blinked a little.

"Oh yes, quite evil," Loki grinned. "I said some very nasty things, and ruled Asgard for a brief time. In fact I almost killed Phil-"

"Agent," Tony corrected.

"He was horrible!" Thor boomed as he walked into the room and Kaia and Nathan jumped a little. "I do believe he tried to kill me multiple times."

"Yes, well, you're still here," Loki stated. "I must not have tried too hard." Thor laughed and clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I'm the daughter of a super villain?" Kaia exclaimed looking between the men, Gabby and Steve forgotten.

"Ex-villain," Loki pointed out. "I couldn't very well keep being a villain around the Avengers."

"It probably didn't help that you had been exiled to Midgard," Tony smirked a little. "And I was so generous to let you stay at my place."

"Generous? Thor practically had to beg," Loki kicked his leg at Tony's, hitting his knee. "It took you two weeks to look at me without glaring."

"It took Clint two months to even look at you, period," Tony reminded him. Loki seemed to let out a wistful sigh.

"Yes, those were the days weren't they?" Loki tried to pull away from Thor when Tony hit his shoulder. He chuckled and ducked away. "Of course Tony had to go and be brave and noble and save the entire human race."

"Tony?" Nathan looked at Loki then to Tony. "Him alone?"

"Well-"

"At the very end," Thor nodded.

"Now before we go down that rabbit hole, it should be noted that none of us really got along very well," Tony said. "And that means we should stop story time."

"You mean stop before you tell them how we actually hated each other, and then you just Had to prove me wrong?" The turned to see Steve and Gabby standing in the doorway from the balcony.

"Story time!" Nathan and Kaia said together.

"They almost made a movie about it," Gabby pointed out and the Avengers that had been assembled turned to glare at her. "What? I did my research on it. It would have been a blockbuster hit!" Gabby quickly moved away before Steve could put his arm around her to drag her away.

"Who would have played them?" Kaia followed her cousin, both her and Nathan ready to defend her.

"Well, Steve would have been played by-"

"No!" All the men yelled at the same time.

"This is not something that needs to be explored," Loki spoke up.

"You're right," Nathan nodded and Kaia looked at him. "We need to know what happened between Tony and Steve first." The trio turned to look at the two men in question.

"He flew a nuke into space and almost didn't make it back," Steve suddenly pointed at Tony.

"You are such a sell out," Tony hit Steve's shoulder. "It was your fault."

"It was not," Steve defended.

"You said that I wasn't a hero, and that I could never be the one to, how did you put it? Ah yes, lay on the wire to let the other guy crawl over me," Tony smirked a little.

"I hadn't exactly been able to acclimate tot he times yet, and I was still measuring you up to your father." Tony rolled his eyes a little. "You didn't exactly make it easy on me."

"Nope, sure didn't," Tony seemed proud of the moment.

"So, who would have played them in the movie?" Kaia and Nathan turned back to Gabby.

"Chris Evans would have been Steve," Gabby grinned. "He could pull it off, too."

"He was good in Scott Pilgrim," Nathan commented.

"Chris Hemsworth would have been Thor, Jeremy Renner for Clint, Scarlett Johansson who had already played Natasha in Iron Man 2," Gabby started counting on her fingers. "So of course Uncle Tony would have been played by Robert Downey Jr again, and Gwenyth Paltrow as Aunt Pepper, and Clark Gregg as Uncle Phil. Mark Ruffalo would have been Bruce, and Tom Hiddleston would have played Uncle Loki."

"And Samuel L Jackson as Fury?" Their eyes widened in hope, and Gabby nodded.

"Wait, wasn't Tom Hiddleston a ginger those years ago?" Kaia asked, thinking. "He would have looked nothing like Dad."

"Someone who see it!" Loki exclaimed.

"There are pictures," Gabby grinned. "They all look like twins. Uncle Tony and uncle Loki are even hiding the pictures they have when they all met the actors."

"You guys met them?" Kaia turned to look at her family.

"You know Sherlock Holmes," Nathan murmured. "Does that mean you know Jude Law, too?"

"You're never going to meet them, so you should forget any of this was ever said." Tony told them, his arms crossed over his chest. "And another thing-" Tony was interrupted by a sudden explosion of sand and water outside of the house. They all instinctively sucked their heads and the Avengers in the room suddenly turned.

"Time to get the others," Steve muttered as he ran from the room, Thor behind him.

"You three, get somewhere safe," Tony pointed as he and Loki ran out of the room.

"I'll get one of Tony's cars, it's on the opposite side of the house so we should be able to get away," Nathan said as they moved away from the windows and doors. There was another explosion closer to the mansion this time and the three ran from the room, close to the ground. "I might be able to find something else down there that could help."

"Go," Gabby hissed and pushed Nathan towards the stairs. She kept Kaia behind her as they moved away from the windows. She hoped that Nathan knew what he was doing down in Tony's lab.

"I think Uncle Steve is downstairs," Kaia whispered to her cousin as they moved slowly, trying not to draw the attention of the beasts outside.

Gabby nodded a little and took a breath. She grabbed Kaia's hand and turned with her, heading down the main stairs. Moving ahead of Kaia she looked and saw no one on the main floor, but could tell that there had already been a fight there. "If we can get to the car port door then Nathan should meet us there." Kaia nodded as they moved towards the door.

Looking outside she could see that the fight had moved to the side of the mansion and Gabby quickly pulled Kaia out the door. As they ran they saw Captain America turn the corner, a look of relief in his eyes for a second. The ground suddenly cracked between them and Gabby and Kaia stopped short.

"I am tired of people running off with what I want," they turned to see Hela walking towards the girls. Gabby pulled Kaia behind her as Steve started running towards them again. Hela waved her hand and the ground under Gabby's feet shifted, lifting her and throwing her back and Steve caught her quickly in his arms.

"Gabby!" Kaia turned but stopped when the crack in the ground between them started to grow. Steve pulled Gabby back with stalagmites started to rise up around them, trapping them.

"Leave her alone!" Gabby yelled out. Kaia ran to the side as Hela approached her but cut off as more spikes rose from the ground to block her. Something suddenly landed between Hela and Kaia and they looked up. Nathan was standing there with some kind of blaster in his hands. It glowed like Iron Man's repulsors but had been condensed to be used without the suit.

"That was just to get your attention," Nathan growled out.

"You are becoming as much of a pain as the others," Hela growled out at him. Nathan glared and charged up the blaster again. As he shot it at her she disappeared. Steve looked behind him and Gabby caught the movement. She could see Iron Man headed for their location and knew the others wouldn't be far behind.

Nathan dropped the blaster and started running towards Kaia. He was suddenly stopped when he ran headlong into Hela, who had grabbed his arms. He heard the others yell out at him but he felt frozen in place.

"Hela, let the boy go!" Tony hovered above her, glowing hands trained on her. "There are too many variables for you to calculate, you'll never get what you want."

Hela suddenly smirked, still looking at Nathan. She turned her head to look at Tony then flicked her wrist. The ground under Gabby and Steve's feet started to crumble and Steve wrapped his arm around Gabby to hold her close. "Who will you save first? Your daughter, your teammate, or this boy? Choose wisely, you only get to help one."

Tony's eyes widened and he was glad the suit was covering his facial expression. "Don't even consider us, Tony!" Steve yelled at him. "We'll be fine!" He held Gabby tighter as the ground shifted again. Tony looked over to Nathan and saw that he was looking at Kaia.

"Make your choice!" Hela yelled and Tony moved instantly. He flew forward and wrapped an arm around Kaia before pushing off the rocky spires and rocketing towards Hela and Nathan. Kaia reached out for Nathan and grasped his hand for a second before he disappeared with Hela.

Gabby screamed as the ground gave way and they started to fall. Steve curled around her slightly and held his shield over their heads.

Tony tried to turn and put his back towards the house as the momentum carried him and Kaia through the glass until he hit the ground. "Tony!" He looked up to see Natasha running towards them. He pushed himself up slowly as Natasha helped Kaia up. "Where's Steve?"

"Shit," Tony growled as he boosted himself back outside and over to the stalagmite protected hole in the ground. He started punching at the spires to break them down. "Steve! Steve!" he started yelling through the comm line. He took a couple steps back and blasted the rock, starting to chip away at it. He need to break them away so that the rest of the team could help."Dammit Rogers! You two better be okay!"


	8. Chapter 8

Steve blinked his eyes opened and looked around. There was a slight groan to his right and he turned his head and saw Gabby lying on her back. He winced a little and pushed himself up and over to her. "Gabby? Are you alright?" She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times before nodding.

"Yeah," she sat up after taking Steve's hand. "I should be asking you that, you took the brunt of the fall."

"It's hard to do any real damage," he smiled a little, even though she could see that he was feeling the fall. "Come on, let's see if we can find a way back to the top." They heard Steve's comm pop and crackle to life, static trying to cover the voices.

"-eve! Ro- can- hurt?" Steve had pulled the cowl down and started to tap at the comm speaker in it.

"I think if we get closer tot he surface the reception should be better," Gabby suggested. Steve nodded and wrapped his arm with hers to help her walk across the unsteady rocks.

Loki ran his hand through Kaia's hair as they stood off to the side with Bruce, who had already 'calmed down' before reaching the others. Thor was hitting at the rocks with his hammer while the other three cleared them away before they fell down the hole.

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Loki down at his daughter when she spoke.

"Nathan's a resourceful kid," Bruce answered first. "He's kind of like Tony, he'll be fine." Kaia bit her lip a little and nodded and pushed herself further into Loki's side.

"Don't worry, I've already sent out a tracking spell," Loki added. "As soon as I am able to locate him we shall bring him back. And then he shall be taunted by the others for being kidnapped."

"He's basically part of the team now," Bruce gave her a soft smile.

"Tony?" They all heard Steve's voice crackle over the comm.

"Steve?" Tony leaned over with his helmet up, looking down the hole.

"Did you know that you have caverns under your house?" Tony started to laugh as Clint and Natasha threw a couple of ropes down the hole.

"Just get up here," Tony told the man and stood up. He let out a breath, made sure that the other three had the situation covered and turned around, taking off his helmet completely, walking back over to the others. When he got closer Kaia ran over and hugged him tightly. Tony wrapped an arm around her carefully. "Hey Pooh Bear," he smiled down at her.

"Daddy?" She looked up at Tony. "You aren't beating yourself up because you weren't able to grab both of us, are you?" Tony opened his mouth a little, then closed it letting out a puff of air.

* * *

"No! Wait!" Nathan ran down the stairs of his house, hand out to reach for the front door. He threw the door open and a thirteen year old Nathan was waving to a car as it drove down the street. Nathan ran past his younger self and down the sidewalk, trying to catch up to the car. He froze suddenly when he heard the loud horn of a semi. He felt his breath catch in his throat. He remembered the report, the brakes had gone out of the semi, couldn't be explained.

He turned, couldn't stand to see it happen again. He heard the crunch, the scraping of metal on the ground. Nathan saw himself when it happened, watched as he lost his parents. He blinked when saw a younger Kaia standing next him, Loki had his hands on both their shoulders, and Tony was running down the street. He didn't remember what had happened when he was younger, didn't know that they had been there when it happened.

His eyes followed Tony and saw that he was one of the first to reach the car as others had come out of their houses and apartments, most of them already on the phone to 911. Nathan slowly walked closer to the scene and could hear Tony yelling as he tried to open the passenger side door.

"Tanya! Rose! Come on, answer me!" Sirens were approaching and another guy had ran over and helped Tony wrench the door open. Tony leaned in, not daring to move them until an ambulance got there. "Tanya, come one sweetheart," Nathan could see her eyes open weakly, and she gave Tony a small smile. "Hey, there we go, that's what I wanna see."

"Flattery won't get you every where Tony," she coughed a little and Tony put a hand on her cheek to keep her head up.

"Sure it will, I'm hoping it'll get me that three way I've been asking for," Nathan could hear the words getting stuck in Tony's throat. "Not only will it freak the kids out, it'll annoy Loki, and then I'll get frustrated sex from him. It's the best, you should try it."

Tanya gasped a little, closing her eyes in pain. "Men are gross," she said quietly. When she looked back up at him she took his hand gently. "Just so it's not a surprise, we put you down as Legal Guardian, should anything happen. We trust you and Loki to take care of Nathan. And Loki has that whole not having a legal government identity going for him, so we could only put your name."

"Well, hey, I'm shocked really, but you won't need to use that," Tony gripped her hand. A couple of ambulances pulled up, followed closely by the police and fire department. Tanya smiled at Tony gently. A couple of paramedics had pulled Tony away while several other men surrounded the car to help the two trapped inside.

One of the paramedics started to ask him questions and Nathan could see that there was some blood on his hands. Tony shook his head a little, but never took his eyes off the car. Nathan jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders.

"Such a good man that Tony Stark," Nathan froze when he heard Hela's voice. "Ran straight to help without thinking of if he would be in any danger." Nathan pulled away and took several steps away from her, glaring. "I wonder if you know why he looks so troubled, or why he took off without a words?"

"If I wanted to know I'd ask him myself," Nathan growled out. "I don't need your games."

"You are so far in over your head," Hela moved around him as the scene started to change. They were still on a street but the cars were different, the people were different, and so was the crash. He could see a much younger Tony Stark being held back by three men. He struggling trying to run to the wreck of three cars. "You aren't the only one to lose a parent that way," she whispered in Nathan's ear.

"Stop!" The scene suddenly vanished and Nathan looked over and saw Loki and Tony standing there, the latter's hands curled into fists."Let's just make this short and sweet so we don't have to spend too much more time together," Tony muttered out.

"What exactly do you have to trade for the boy?" Hela asked, keeping a hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"Trade?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I'm not trading for something that was taken, I'm here to take him back home. I thought I explained this 12 years ago. We have a strict no psychopaths rule, and I try to enforce that as often as I can."

"What I wouldn't give to have you in this boys place, Stark," Hela said. Tony blinked and suddenly he was suddenly looking at Loki and Nathan and felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly. "Oh wait, I have that power when you're in my domain."

"Hela," Loki warned.

"I wouldn't move if I were you dear brother," Hela looked at Loki. "If you use too much more magic how will get these pathetic mortals back to their Midgard?" Loki had pulled Nathan closer to him, but could only glare at her.

"I'm surprised you came here without your suit of armour," Hela spoke close to Tony's ear. "Did you come with the intention that you could talk your way out of here?" She spun Tony around to face him, and she glanced down at his chest. "Although I know how you could get out of here." Her hand reached out towards his arc reactor and he grabbed her wrist tightly.

"I came to make a point," he told her, keeping her hand back.

"And what would that be," Hela raised an eyebrow. "I hope it wasn't that you can stop me from getting what I want." The hand on his shoulder slid down and rested on his chest and Tony stared at her.

"That you shouldn't underestimate a mortal," his free hand came up and smacked her shoulder. She yelped and took a step back, letting go of Tony. She growled when she saw one of Loki's daggers in her shoulder and Tony was already hurrying back to Loki and Nathan. She started to laugh as they disappeared and Tony had a close grip on Nathan as they appeared inside the mansion.

"I need lots and lots of alcohol," Tony breathed out and Steve guided him to sit in a chair. "Oph!" His eyes widened when Nathan had suddenly launched himself at Tony, hugging him tightly. Tony coughed a little then wrapped an arm around his shoulders and sagged into the chair.

"Nathan?" The teen got off of Tony when he heard Kaia. The younger girl ran into the room and threw her arms around his neck. "You're okay! I knew you'd come back." She buried her neck into his shoulder as he hugged just as tightly.

"I think if we ever wanted to start looking for our replacements we've got at least one person to look at," Bruce commented lightly and Tony snorted a little.

"He'll want to take over for Tony," Loki commented.

"He did handle that repulsor gun pretty well," Tony stated proudly. Tony pulled Loki to sit next to him, noticing that he was weary on his feet. "Now if you don't mind, we're gonna rest here for a bit before we have to deal with Hela's backlash."

"She won't want to wait," Steve agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

"Tony?" Tony glanced over and saw Nathan walking towards him later that night.

"Hey kid," Tony turned and leaned his back against the railing. "What are you doing up so late?" He knew why he was up, he could see it in his eyes.

"How do you do it everyday? Just, everything?" He trailed off playing with his fingers a little.

"Not easily," he gave Nathan a practiced smile. "Then again I've had some years to work through it, a few more than you've had."

"Do ever wish that you could go back and change things?" Nathan looked up at him. "The crash, the arc reactor? Any of it?"

Tony took a deep breath as he thought. "I used to, every damn day. If you would have asked me fifteen years ago I would have said yes, and I would have been working on time travel." Tony looked over at him as he continued. "Right now, not so much. If it wouldn't have happened then there wouldn't be Iron Man, Kaia wouldn't be here, the earth would have been overrun by-" Tony suddenly stopped talking and his eyes widened as he looked behind Nathan.

"Tony?" He yelped when Tony suddenly jumped on him pushing him to the ground. When he looked there was a scorch mark and a small hole where he had been standing.

Tony looked over and saw something he hadn't seen for over ten years; a Chitauri warrior. Just one though and he was confused. He pushed himself up quickly, grabbing one of the chairs from the balcony and throwing it at the warrior as he ran. The chair hit the weapon in the Chitauri's hand and Tony jumped at it. The warrior grabbed Tony by his bicep and held him up letting out a roar. Tony kicked up and caught the thing in the face then let out a yell when it threw him back. He hit the railing and flipped over, his hand scrambling out to grab onto it.

Nathan had reached over quickly to grab onto his other hand and started pulling him up. "This would be the time that the others take a night on the town," Nathan grunted as he helped Tony up. Tony rolled his eyes a little as he was able to grab the edge with his hand other hand. Nathan suddenly yelled as he was grabbed and pulled away.

"Nathan!" Tony grunted and was able to haul half of his body up. As he flipped over he saw the Chitauri had his arm around Nathan's chest but was growling in a fighting stance as Loki blocked his path.

Suddenly the Chitauri started to laugh and Tony frowned a little. "Did you think that we forgot about you, little god?" Loki's hands had started to glow and the warrior had grabbed Nathan's shoulder and held him up in front of Loki. "There is no where you can hide, and now we will make you come to us, and beg for death." There was another scream and Tony and Loki's eyes widened.

"Kaia!" Tony took off running towards the stairs. The air suddenly left his lungs and he hit the ground on his back as he was caught by the Chitauri. He wheezed out and tried to roll over, ignoring the pain. He didn't get very far when Nathan was suddenly thrown on top of him and then into the wall, knocking him out like a light. Tony looked over and saw that he was still breathing and sighed a little in relief.

A Chitauri hand reached down and suddenly grabbed his shoulder and lifted him up. His feet tried to get steady ground as he was pulled around and blinked when he saw a box with part of the tesseract sitting on the floor between them and Loki. Loki was frowning and the box started to glow. The warrior started to laugh as tendrils of the tesseracts powers started to flow towards him and Tony.

Tony's eyes widened his arc reactor started to glow brighter and the power started to seep into it, changing the glow ever so slightly to match the power. Tony's body tensed and he fought to keep from yelling out in pain. He could feel the power running through his body now and vaguely aware of the Chitauri dropping him.

"Let us know when you want to surrender," the warrior threatened before disappearing. Loki ran over to Tony.

"Get, Kaia," Tony forced out as he curled his legs a little. "Make sure, she's okay."

"You'd better be when I get back here," Loki said before he took off running up the stairs.

Tony had experienced pain in his life, mental and physical, and it ranged from horrifyingly graphic to nothing more than a papercut. The only thing that Tony could compare what he was going through now was the torture he had gone through to that let to requiring the need for the arc reactor. When he suddenly saw Clint standing above him, and they locked eyes, he had never been so happy when someone had knocked him out.

Clint had gotten the report of the break in at Tony's from JARVIS, who had automatically called the closest team member. When he arrived it looked like things had already gone down. He saw Gabby on the floor and quickly checked on her first. Her vitals were stable, she was breathing, and showed no other damage. Loki was gone and Tony was on the floor, almost writing in pain.

He made his way over to the man and called his name, but the man didn't seem to hear him. That's when Clint saw the box with the piece of tesseract in it, and every nerve in his body was alert. When Tony rolled onto his back and opened his eyes Clint saw swirls of blue fighting to take over the normal brown. He decided he'd take Natasha's theory of a good knock on the head, and give it a try.

* * *

Steve and Gabby had arrived shortly after Clint had, and was currently watching over Nathan and Kaia as Clint scouted the area, and Loki tried to help Tony. Kaia was asleep with her head in Steve's lap, feeling more relaxed with someone else with her, and her parents in the next room. Nathan had woken up enough to move to the couch to sit next to Kaia, still feeling winded, and Gabby was watching over him.

Loki studied the tesseract piece in it's box and watched Tony toss and turn on the bed, still out, or asleep. He put a hand over the arc reactor and could feel the power centralized in it. He couldn't help but fear what would happen if Tony stayed like this for too long.

Tony took a gasping breath as his eyes shot open. Loki moved up quickly and took one of Tony's hands. He didn't like how even Tony's eyes seemed to swim with the presence of the tesseract. It brought him back to all the trouble he had caused, and worked to put behind him.

"Well, this wasn't where I was before," Tony's voice was tight but it was still Tony.

"Well, after Barton knocked you out I thought it would be good to move you somewhere more comfortable." Loki told him, keeping up appearances.

Tony took a breath and glanced over to look at Loki. "What about Kaia?"

"She's fine," Loki reassured him. "There was no one with her, but they did try to scare her. She is currently resting with Gabby and Rogers."

"Oh good, Stars and Stripes is here," Tony nodded a little. "That should make her feel a little more comfortable. What about Nathan? Last I saw he took a hit against the wall."

"Nothing more than aches, as he is resting comfortably with the others, close to Kaia of course." Tony smirked slightly, and Loki was glad to see it.

"So, here's the million dollar question, what's happening to me?" Tony concentrated on taking even breaths. "Last I encountered of that thing, you couldn't even make it past my reactor."

"It seems as if that was the target this time," Loki told him. "As far as I can tell the power has localized in your arc reactor, but I am unsure of what will happen."

"Okay, well it's a start." Tony grunted a little. "At least I know where it's all coming from. I can feel it through my entire body, and that's not even the scary part." Loki raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore. I think I'm getting used to it, and I don't like that one bit."

"Perhaps we can use that to an advantage though," Loki thought. "Perhaps you can get to the lab and run some tests. I know that you're itching to find out if it's damaged the reactor in any way, and I would like to find a way to remove it."

"Whoever is planning all this is underestimating us, I think," Tony smirked a little.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabby had slowly extracted herself from in between Steve and Kaia, noticing that they had all fallen asleep on the floor, and padded to the kitchen. She saw both Tony and Loki in there, Tony with a mug of coffee and bags under his eyes, Loki attempting to make some breakfast.

"Long night?" She yawned and went to grab some juice from the fridge.

"Too long," Tony groaned. His body ached, but the pain had dulled slightly. Tony opened his mouth but Gabby started talking again.

"Gabby and Nathan are still asleep," she answer the unasked question. "I left Steve with them." Tony nodded. "So what exactly happened?" She turned to lean against the fridge. "Why are your eyes the same color as the reactor?" Tony dropped his head onto the counter, groaning slightly. "So, not a good reason then."

* * *

Tony sat across from Loki and Bruce on the floor and took a deep breath. "How long do we have to do this?" He whispered and Bruce groaned and Loki let out a sigh. Tony opened his eyes to look at the two men. "What?"

"Meditation requires being silent," Bruce told him. "You need to clear your mind, picture yourself somewhere relaxing. For you that's either gonna be the workshop or your bed I'd imagine." As Clint had left earlier in the day, Bruce had arrived. He and Loki had cornered Tony.

"You know me too well," Tony smirked a little.

"We're attempting to see if we can learn about the power in your reactor," Loki told him. "Although it takes years to easily fall into a meditative state, that's a luxury you don't have." There was a thinly veiled warning in his tone that Tony didn't miss.

"Alright, sorry, sorry," Tony held up his hands in surrender. "I promise to be serious this time." The men across from him rolled their eyes, but they tried again.

Not that Tony would let them know, but he found himself on the private beach below his mansion. When he was younger, and had just bought the mansion he would spend many a night down in the sand just listening to the waves. It helped calm him.

He looked out at the water and saw that it was a bright blue, even under the light of the moon. The waves crashed on the shore, rolling up the sand, but Tony's feet didn't feel wet. He frowned a little and saw that he was ankle deep in the water. He started to walk further into the water, but he didn't feel the water, didn't feel the cold temperatures.

Looking down Tony noticed that the arc reactor wasn't there. He lifted his t-shirt and saw smooth skin, like nothing had ever happened. When he looked back at the water it seemed to give off a blue pulse. Not knowing why Tony walked further in and dove into the water.

He didn't worry about having to breathe, he just kept on swimming, something int he water keeping his attention. Tony didn't know which way was the shore, or where he was going, but there was a blue light that he was headed for, he knew he had to reach it. As he got closer to the glow he felt a pain in his chest.

The glow seemed to be surrounding an orb. Tony need to have it. As he got closer he reached out his arm, fingers brushing the orb, warmth spreading out from it. He suddenly gasped when he felt a sharp pain his chest and he curled up.

'No, no I have to get it,' Tony's mind told him. The pain blossomed out, encompassing his entire body. He could feel his toes starting to curl from the pain but he forced himself to reach out for the orb again. If he could reach it the pain would end, he just Knew it would.

He let out a silent scream as the pain reached his head. He saw white around his vision but he didn't stop reaching. He couldn't stop now, he couldn't pass out now, not when he was so close.

His fingers closed around the orb and the pain suddenly stopped. He felt himself falling but he just brought the orb close to his chest as his eyes closed.

"Tony!" He gasped and his eyes shot open. He saw Loki and Bruce kneeling over him and was vaguely aware that he on his back on the floor.

"You two know I'd never turn down a threesome, but wait until a guy is awake to start it," he said breathlessly. Bruce just stared at Tony as Loki punched his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked him as he helped back into a sitting position. "You were screaming." Tony blinked a little. "What the hell was going on?"

"I don't know," Tony answered carefully. "I know there was a pain, but then it went away and I was falling." Loki seemed to slump a little.

"You are insufferable in every way." Loki muttered and leaned his forehead on Tony's shoulder. Tony smirked slightly, but noticed that he didn't feel any pain when Loki had dropped his head on Tony. There were no aches, there was nothing. He looked down and noticed that the reactor looked almost normal, not as bright anymore.

"Holy shit," Tony said and the two men looked at him. "I think I know what happened. I think I just found the power of the tesseract."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You do not look as pale anymore. Are you not in pain?" Tony nodded his head a little.

"I feel good, like really good." Tony looked between Loki and Bruce. "This is good right?" The pair merely shrugged.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony was snapping his fingers and flexing his hands in a serious of claps in his nervous habit, blue sparks appearing every time his hand connected in come way. "Just because I found the power doesn't mean I can control it," Tony muttered to Loki who was standing across from him in the room.

"That much is obvious," Loki watched the blue spark, his own green sparks traveling around his hands. "I believe that the power is still too much, even after a week."

"You think?" Tony snorted a little and Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, it's just a little frustrating."

"Yes, I-" The building shook a little and there was a crackle of red light in the room. Tony and Loki instinctively moved closer together and Tony reached for the power in his reactor, even if it was still reckless.

"I am surprised that I have not seen either one of you in my realm yet," Hela's voice called out as she appeared in the room started to circle the two men. "More surprised that your mortal is still alive, Loki."

Tony watched her and tried to keep his breathing even. "You have your hand in just about everything, don't you?"

"Hmmm," she hummed a little. "I like to be involved, I need to make sure that they follow some kind of plan. Although you, always seem to through a kink in the system." She glared at Tony, her eyes glowing a little. Tony took a sharp breath and grabbed at his chest. "You weren't supposed to adapt to those powers."

Loki had grabbed Tony's shoulder and could see that the arc reactor was glowing a little brighter. "When I told the Chitauri where you where they were supposed to kill your mortal," she watched them grapple with the pain she was causing. "If given the right motivation you could still bring about my Ragnarok!" She looked over at Tony. "Since I sent this little present to you, I know how to control it, even if it is inside of you."

Hela walked over and Loki stood in front of Tony, his hands glowing with wisps of green magic. Hela glared and they both shot a blast at each other, the magic meeting in the middle and throwing them both back. Tony groaned a little and started to pushed himself up when a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"I know all about you Anthony Edward Stark," Hela hissed. "I know what keeps you alive." Her hand hovered his arc reactor and he kept eye contact with her. His muscles tensed under the pain and her threat. "I'll take this power from you, and then I'll take everything else. I'll leave you as defenseless, and useless as your supposed to be." Tony grunted and grabbed her arm and glared at her. "I can take you to your parents, Stark."

"I think it would be better, if we saw yours," Tony grunted out as his hands started to glow blue. Loki had pushed himself up and blinked when he saw strands of blue and red power whipping around Tony an Hela.

"Daddy!" Loki looked over as Kaia came running up the stairs. He ran over and grabbed her around the waist quickly when he felt the magic building up in the room. He could feel two different transport spells working against each other, but had no way to stop it. "What's gonna happen?" Kaia looked up at Loki.

"I'm not really sure, but I think we might be taking a trip to Heimdall soon," Loki muttered as the lights started to get brighter. Suddenly Tony and Hela disappeared and Kaia's eyes widened a little. Loki pat her shoulder before letting go of her. "Quickly now, get prepared." Loki started towards the main entrance. "We're going to travel through the hidden paths, we need to get to Asgard." Kaia blinked but nodded and ran upstairs towards her room. Even an unexpected visit would need Kaia in the Asgardian clothing she had.

She pulled on her jacket as she ran down the stairs and saw Loki talking with Clint, Steve, Nathan and Gabby. "You're gonna go by yourself?" Nathan looked skeptical.

"I'm going with him," she adjusted her clothes as walked up next to Loki, who had already used his magic to conjure up his green and black clothing.

"We're going to pay Heimdall a visit, then return with information," Loki explained.

"While you're gone we'll search for any clues," Steve said, taking natural command. "We'll keep an eye for anything and run some traces."

"I'll send a message when I can," Loki told him, then looked at Kaia. "Ready?" She nodded and he took her hand as his started to glow a faint green. Kaia smiled at Nathan before they disappeared.

Kaia kept close to Loki as they stepped out of a portal and found footing on the rainbow bridge. Loki ran towards the bi-frost quickly. "Heimdall!" As he got closer he noticed that the Guardian was not outside the structure.

"Stop!" Loki stopped before entering the bi-frost and could see Heimdall inside. "Hela has spelled the entrance, I can not leave."

"She's here?" Loki asked, eyes wide as he started to run fingers over the entrance, feeling the power of the spell. Kaia came up next to him, listening.

"She has come with Anthony, but he was unable to keep her subdued. She is in the golden hall as we speak." Loki nodded and took Kaia's hand and started running towards the Great Hall of Odin.

"Let me help," Kaia huffed a little and squeezed Loki's hand, a soft blue glow appearing on her fingers. They suddenly jumped ahead on the bridge, still in motion. Loki raised an eyebrow briefly. "I've been practicing some stuff lately."

"I can see," Loki murmured. As they approached the saw no guards, and the doors were wide open. Loki slowed them and spelled their steps into silence. As the deftly made their way through the rooms Loki could hear voices coming from the throne room.

"Come now, Anthony," Loki poked his head around the corner of the door and saw Hela pacing back and forth on the first platform of steps. "What good are those powers you have if you don't know how to use them? You can't be a mortal, and a mage." Loki saw Frigga standing between Hela and Tony, who was on one knee. She held up a sword, but Loki could feel the spell of protection between them.

"What can I say," Tony coughed a little, holding a hand up to his arc reactor. "I've always been a little selfish, can't settle on just one thing. From what I can gather though, you're just the same."

Hela let out a laugh and stopped moving. "Yes, I suppose I am. That is no matter," she waved a hand and looked down at the two of them. "It is a pity that Odin has entered the Odinsleep, I had really hoped that I could surprise him with this." Tony pushed himself up, his hands starting to glow.

"Dad," Kaia whispered suddenly. Loki looked down at her. "Those powers are becoming reckless, untamed." Loki nodded and put a hand on her shoulder, looking back out.

"Because we are such close proximity to the tesseract," Loki finished. It would become too much for Tony, and for the arc reactor. "You remember the way to the weapons vault?" he looked back at Kaia and she nodded. "Good, you are to run there and stay there until either I or your father come and get you. Is that understood?" Kaia bit her lip a little. "I want you near the Destroyer, it will protect you. I can not predict what will happen, and I would rather not have you in harms way." Kaia let out a breath and took off running down the hall.

Loki watched her until she turned the corner then took a breath. He and Thor had known of course when Odin entered into Odinsleep, but Tony didn't know. His plan had probably been to take her to Asgard, where she could have been apprehended. It was a decent plan, but it had backfired. Loki hoped that enough time had passed that Odin would be able to feel the disturbance in Asgard.

Loki walked into the hall from the side casually, his hands behind his back and glanced between Hela, and Frigga and Tony. "My, what a surprise you have this time, dear sister." Loki called out. She raised an eyebrow and watched Loki approach them. "If I didn't know any better I would have commended you on your bravery to stepping foot in Asgard again. But now, I have to wonder how you let yourself become overpowered so easily, by my mortal no less."

"I did not become overpowered," Hela tried to correct. She held out a hand to stop him when he started getting too close to the trio.

"That's not what it felt like back at the house," Tony quipped. "That was a power struggle, and I feel very confident that I won." If Frigga hadn't of been keeping her eyes on Hela, she would have rolled her eyes and shushed Tony, much like Loki would.

"You must not have come here through Heimdall's powers," Hela commented, attention back on Loki. "Or else you would have been caught in my spell."

"I know all the paths through Yggdrasil," Loki said casually. "I know ones that you are not familiar with. I must think quick, always prepared." Hela narrowed her eyes and Loki's hands started to glow behind his back. Loki started to conjure illusions of himself around the room. Hela growled and threw out a burst of power at the original, but he faded into wisps of power. "I actually expected better of you," one of the Loki's further away tutted. "To think that I would stay in one spot, that would be a foolish tactic on my part."

"I knew there was a reason I liked him," Tony gave a pained smile to Frigga. She could the power as it ran through his reactor and his eyes. Frigga jumped when something brushed past her dress and towards Tony. Kaia keeled in front of Tony and took his hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Not listening to Dad, and he's going to kill me," Kaia whispered, trying not to draw Hela's attention. "I couldn't just leave you two, not when I've got a couple of spells that could help."

"It's clear she's been learning magic from her father," Frigga smiled gently. Loki's illusions continued to distract Hela.

Tony laughed a little and nodded. "She gets her genius from me though."

"Tony!" Loki yelled out and Tony instinctively threw himself over Kaia. Frigga turned to renew the spell but was thrown backwards by Hela. Tony pulled Kaia over behind him and stood up to face Hela. All the Loki look a likes were gone and the real one was pushing himself up from across the room.

Tony took a breath and pulled on more of the power. "You're becoming outnumbered, Hela." Hela smirked then suddenly threw something at Tony, instinct causing him to catch the physical item and stumble back.

There was a bright flash of blue and white and Tony yelled out. Frigga pulled Kaia back and Loki suddenly jumped and landed on Tony, pushing him to the ground. The tesseract tumbled from Tony's hands and Loki threw a cloaking spell over it to keep Hela from claiming it again.

"Oops, did I forget that mortals shouldn't touch it for very long?" Hela chuckled. Loki stood up and glared at Hela, then suddenly stopped. "Come now, my dear trickster-" Hela stopped when she felt a weight on her shoulder. Turning her head she snarled when she saw Odin with his staff leaning against her.

"You step too far, Hela, and you do it in the realm of Asgard," Odin's voice boomed.

"I'm not nearly through with this," Hela growled. Kaia blinked looking around Frigga and saw red electricity jumping along Hela's fingertips. She raised an eyebrow as random spells started to combine in her head and she suddenly hefted an orb of ice in her hand a little like a ball. Kais threw it as soon as Hela started talking again. "You could not think of containing me!" Hela released a spell as soon as the orb hit her chest. She yelped but disappeared, only to reappear several feet away on the stairs, closer to Loki, and the orb hit the ground, cracking.

Loki smirked and leaned down as Hela looked up. She saw that Tony had pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning against Loki's legs. "Didn't, I tell you, not to, underestimate, a mortal," Tony smirked, even if he was having trouble catching his breath. "I. Win." Hela growled and disappeared.

"I do not think that she will be causing much trouble soon," Frigga said. Tony started to cough and put all his weight against Loki. Loki turned and caught him in his arms, gently laying him down on his back. Kaia ran over to Odin and took his hand.

"Please help him," her eyes were big and becoming wet. She knew when Tony had caught the tesseract its power had overflowed into his arc reactor.

Tony tensed a little and held onto Loki's hand, then opened his eyes. "Hey, there green eyes." Loki could see right through him and how much pain he was in. "Fancy seeing you in a place like this."

"I followed this crazy mortal here, you haven't seen him have you?" Loki brushed the hair off of Tony's forehead. "He's cocky, has an ego large than the bi-frost, and is rather eccentric."

"Sounds like my kind of man," Tony tensed and groaned. "As long as he's rich, no one should put up with that kind of attitude unless he's loaded."

"He has many things going for him," Loki smiled gently at him. Loki looked over when he saw Odin walked over to them. He knelt down, holding onto the tesseract that Loki just noticed was not shining anymore. Loki frowned. "Father?"

"It seems that the tesseract has passed its power on," Odin said slowly, looking at Tony's brightly glowing chest.

"This arc reactor," Tony took a deep breath, "has a lot to do already. I don't think it can handle that kind of power."

"Neither can your body, I think," Odin nodded. Frigga stood to the side with her arms wrapped around Kaia's shoulders as they watched. "This power was not even meant for the Gods, Anthony Stark, but you have gone and proven your worth, again."

"Worth?" Tony frowned a little and squeezed Loki's hands when a spike of pain ran through his body. "I'm just a crazy man, with an apparent magic magnet in my chest."

"The power of the tesseract would have killed anyone else by now," Odin said.

"I feel like the prettiest girl at the prom," Tony bit out. "Can't you get this power out of me?"

"I can not do it now," Odin shook his head. "If I did then it would surely claim you here." Tony groaned. "We will take you to the Healers, and they will help to dull the pain, and then I will be able to heal you."

"Please, tell me that they're going to use alcohol?" Tony looked up at Loki who tried to frown at him, but couldn't hide the twitch in his lips.


	12. Chapter 12

Kaia stood several feet away from Tony and Loki, watching her dads sleep. She heard Odin walking towards her but didn't move. "He seems peaceful now. Is it because he is sleeping?"

"Partly," Odin told her. He knew that she was a smart girl that caught on quickly.

"Is he in any pain?" Kaia asked softly, not wanting to wake her parents up.

"I do not believe so," Odin answered the teen. "Although it is unclear as to what the power could do to him. He is a strong man," Odin placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

* * *

Tony took a gasping breath and sat up suddenly. Loki fell off of him but stayed in his chair. "Tony?"

Tony's head whipped around frantically, his eyes wide. When he saw Loki he sat up a little straighter. "What the hell?" Tony muttered under his breath. "Where the hell am I? I havne't been kidnapped again, have I?" Tony ran a hand through his hair as he looked around, Loki's own eyes widening slightly. "Pepper is gonna lose it, i just get back-"

"You haven't been kidnapped, Tony," Loki said quietly. Tony turned to look back at him. "You're on Asgard, healing."

"Asgard? Healing? What the hell happened?" Tony leaned back against the headboard and looked around. "Why does my chest feel so weird? If I haven't been kidnapped then why do i feel like I've been taking three rounds with a boxer? And just who are you?"

"What is the last thing that you remember Tony?" Loki asked carefully. He wasn't sure what was happening but he wasn't liking the implications.

"Well, I just found out that Stark was double dealing the weapons, and then I took the suit-" Tony whipped his head to look at Loki. "This isn't about the weapons is it? I mean, I cleared it with Rhodey and-"

"Tony, you don't make weapons anymore." Tony blinked slowly and stared at Loki. "You're working on clean energy, your arc reactor works, in a much-"

"How do you know about the arc reator?" Tony suddenly asked, venom edging his voice. "No one knows about that, no one can get it to work." Loki reached forward but Tony grabbed his wrist suddenly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What's wrong with you?" Loki pulled his hand back and looked at his chest. Tony followed his gaze and looked down. He saw his arc reactor but it was much brighter, and much different than he remembered it. He looked back voer at Loki and frowned a little when thoguht he saw a fleeting glimpse of Something in his eyes.

"This, this isn't right, is it?" Tony asked slowly. No one could ever say that Tony Stark was slow to catch things when it counted. Loki shook his head a little and Tony felt something tighten in his chest. "What happened?" He asked more sedately. And Loki told him about the Tesseract, and Hela.

Tony's fingeres tapped the arc reactor with his fingers as he listened. "So, right now, something that should have killed me, again, is inside my body? Well, isn't this just grand. Wait until I tell Pepper and Obie about this one."

Loki swallowed a little, realizing the rough time frame that Tony thought he was in. Tony looked over when Loki didn't say anything. "Something happened didn't it?"

"It's something that can be discussed later. Right now I think it imperative-"

"Daddy!" Kaia ran into the room and Tony and Loki looked over, eyes widening slightly, for different reasons. Kaia threw herself on the bed and wrapped her arms around Tony. Tony slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked at Loki. "I was worried that you wouldn't wake up, and it's been four days, but they all said that you weren't in any pain and-"

"Child," Loki shushed Kaia gently. "He's only just woken up." Kaia glanced over at Loki and nodded then looked back up at Tony with the biggest smile he had ever seen. She looked at him before her smile slowly disappeared.

"Daddy?" She reached up and put her hand on one of his cheeks when she thought she saw his eyes misting up. "Are you alright?"

Tony nodded quickly as Loki spoke up. "Daddy is just tired still," Loki wrapped his arms around Kaia's waist. "We should let the Healers look at him, yes?" She nodded a little and slid from Loki's lap as Loki stood up. "We'll be back later, you should rest a little." Tony nodded as he watched the two walk away.

Tony leaned back in the bed and took a slow breath. The little girl had looked like Loki, but also look a little like him. He glanced at his hands and thought they looked different, more worn, a few more marks and scars than he remembered. He ran a hand through his hair and thought it felt slightly different. Scrubbing his hand over his face he looked up and saw a couple of people walking towards him, looking like the healers they had been talking about.

They were interrupted several minutes later by a commotion out in the halls. Weapons were clashing, people were yelling, footsteps were running. Tony umped up immediately, pushing off the blankets and running for the doors. He could hear the Healers behind him trying to stop him, but he was Tony Stark, fresh from a cave in the Middle East.

Tony looked out and saw two guards fall in front of the door and two monsters run by. There was a flare of red magic that caught the edge of his eyes and he stepped out suddenly. There was a sparkle of power and he saw a woman holding onto Kaia, then disappear. Tony frowned then gasped when he was suddenly slammed into the heavy doors.

Tony groaned and tried to grab the edge of the door as a cold hand wrapped around his neck, lifting him up. He saw one of the monsters that had run by and tried to glare at him. "That is not the one," a voice hissed behind him and the monster glared at Tony before throwing him across the hall. Tony hit the floor on his side hard, sliding until the wall stopped him.

There was a burning in his chest as his lifted his head up. "Tony!" He heard a clashing and a couple of green daggers flying through the air. He saw Loki running to him, a look of fear flashing through his eyes, and he just knew that that looked wrong on the man.

Loki was suddenly jumped by several of the monsters and slammed to the ground. Tony blinked then started to push himself up, reaching a hand out. Loki pushed his arm forward before both arms were grabbed by the creatures as they piled on him. Tony was slammed back onto his stomach by a foot pushing on his back.

"Do not worry, you shall join him soon," a low voice sounded above Tony. When he tried to turn his head a strong grip of a hand slammed it back down to the ground. Then only thing he could see was Loki, he could see the barbed gag they tied around his mouth, the shackles around his wrists and ankles, and the terrified look in Loki's eyes.

"You caused enough damage on your own, Stark," the voice started talking again. "But, a deal was made, you shall not suffer by our hands first, but we will have your soul." The hand lifted his head then slammed it back down and Tony's vision went white before he lost consciousness.

* * *

"Tony? Tony, you must wake up." Tony groaned when he heard a different voice this time. There were so many people that were calling him. Didn't they understand that he just wanted to sleep? He was going to sleep, and he needed to finish working on the Mark IV. There was a shake to his shoulder and his eyes shot open then.

Tony found himself staring at a large man with blonde hair and blue eyes. "Loki told me what had happened. You do not remember me, do you?" Tony shook his head once. "I am Thor, we have fought together, many a time. We must return to Midgard quickly." He pulled Tony up from the floor that he realized that he had been sitting on.

"Wait, what the hell just happened here?" He let Thor pull him along, but he was feeling more confused than the first time he had woken up.

"I would rather wait until we tell the others," Thor told him, a sad note in his voice. "They will try to help you remember, and understand what is happening. Just know that the situation is dire, and we must move quickly." Tony nodded and followed the God, wondering if this wasn't all just a dream. Maybe he'd taken a little more head damage flying out to Golmera than he thought. He needed Pepper, she'd explain everything to him.


	13. Chapter 13

Tony was rubbing his temples as Pepper placed a hand on his shoulder. "Has it really been almost 18 years?" He looked up at her. "Did I really just forget almost two decades of my life?" Thor had left him with Pepper when they appeared back at his Malibu mansion. Said something about avenging and that he'd be back.

Pepper sat down in front of him. "Well, it's not exactly your fault. Some weird stuff has happened, and I mean it's weird even for your life." Tony's eyes flicked back over to the screen that JARVIS had shown him after taking scans of his body and his brain. No, there was no brain damage, but there was something inside of him that had altered his memories.

"I don't like this," Tony frowned then looked back over at Pepper. "I don't know what's going on, and then that Loki guy, and that kid, Kaia, it's just too confusing right now." Tony looked up when he saw two people walk in the room and he straightened in the chair. Pepper looked over then back at Tony.

"I know you," Tony pointed at Phil. "I saw you at that charity thing," Phil nodded once. Tony then looked at the other man, feeling something in his chest. "There's no way I couldn't know you." Steve Rogers frowned a little at Tony tone.

"Tony," Pepper called to him quietly. Tony tightened his jaw a little then nodded, following the three into the next room where he saw Thor and six other people, plus one angry looking man on a screen.

"You sure picked a hell of a time to have amnesia, Stark," the man on the screen said. Tony raised an eyebrow then flashed him a smile that was sure to annoy him.

"I get the feeling that you don't like me very much," Tony said easily. "I'm pretty sure that when I do remember everything, I'll be happy that this made you upset."

"Still the same god-damned Stark," Fury muttered. "So, we've got a messed up billionaire, a missing god and teen, and Chitauri on the run. Anyone wanna tell me where it all went wrong, and what the hell we're gonna do to fix this?"

"We know who took Kaia," Steve spoke up first. "Thor can take us there, but we have no idea where Loki is." Tony watched Steve, then back to the screen. He put a hand to his chest, tapping at the arc reactor to distract him from the warming sensation he felt there again. He knew it was the power of the tesseract, Loki had told him that. He knew that it was Hela that had taken Kaia, but he wasn't sure why she had taken the teen and not Loki. His thoughts moved quickly, and he tried to access the memories that were hidden, knowing it would help, but he felt helpless.

Tony's attention snapped back to the room when he saw two people standing in front of him. Gabby and Nathan, as Pepper had told him earlier. The last time he had seen Gabby she was five years old, and here she was, almost taller than him. He looked at Nathan and felt a pull towards the teen, there was something inside that recognized the boy.

Each one reached out and took one of his hands and he blinked at them. Looking at them he knew what had to be done, even if he was confused to the point of implosion. "I'll find them." Tony looked up at the group, all of whom were still talking, except for one brunette. He had heard Tony, and had slipped off his glasses. "I said, I'll find them," Tony said louder to get the attention of the others.

"Tony, you can't be serious," Natasha looked at him. "You don't even know who they are to you-"

"I don't need to know all the details to know that they mean Something to me," Tony snapped back. "Let me tell you, from where I'm at right now, I didn't think something like that could happen. So, you'll excuse me if I say screw you, and do this for myself."

"I'm going with you," Nathan said suddenly, looking at Tony. "You can't do it alone, and I know everything." Tony watched him, recognized something in him, something that reminded Tony of himself.

"Oh sure, why the hell not," Tony shrugged. "Come on kid, you can tell me about the stuff I find in my lab while we get prepared." Tony pushed Nathan's back towards the stairs, ignoring the yelling that was going on behind him. "Thor! I'm gonna need a ride to see Hela in a little bit, can you help big guy?"

"Of course," Thor grinned as he boomed his answer over the others. That was the Tony that he knew, one that get his family back no matter what.

Gabby walked over and took Steve's hand in her own, holding them together. "Uncle Tony may have just lost his memories, but he didn't lose who he was," she told him gently. Gabby put a finger on his lips when he opened his mouth to talk. "Who else is going to find them? Hela wants Tony, she set this up and we all know it."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Steve murmured. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his chest as he sighed.

* * *

Tony ran his hands over the newest Iron Man suit as he circled it. He listened to Nathan tell him what was added to it and had to smirk at his own talents. "Damn, never would have thought that they could get this good. Well, I mean I had thought it, but," he shrugged as he trailed off. He looked over to see Nathan attaching some kind of strap to what looked like an oversized blaster and slung it over his shoulders to rest of his back.

"It works like your repulsors do," Nathan explained quickly. "Do we have a plan?"

"Have we faced her before?" Tony asked as he grabbed a tablet, running over the specs of the suit real quick.

"We have," Nathan said and Tony glanced at him. "We're alive."

"That well, huh?" Tony sighed then put the tablet down. "Alright, i'm going in there without the suit then." Nathan's eyes widened a little, but Tony continued before he could object. "She did this for a reason, and it's obvious that there's some vendetta against me. She's not gonna kill me, because then she wouldn't be able to have fun."

"You're a crazy bastard," Nathan sighed a little. "As long as we get Kaia back, and you're still a live, I'll call it a win." Tony smirked a little when he started talking about Kaia. "Not a word."

"Are we ready friends?" Thor walked into the workshop and Tony nodded.

"Let's go to Hel."


	14. Chapter 14

Tony turned around, looking at his surroundings as Nathan and Thor walked ahead of him. Tony wasn't sure who he should be more afraid of, Hel or the rest of the team that was back in his mansion. He could hear their shouts as they left from the workshop. But he knew that they would ry to stop him, and Nathan, from just barging in to another realm.

Tony faced forward again and blinked her no longer saw the two men he had followed. "Uh, well, this doesn't bode well." He started to walk forward, wishing that he would have brought at least his gauntlets.

"Anthony Stark," a cool voice curled by his ear and he stopped. A soft hand caressed his cheek and jaw and Tony could only stare forwards. "Tony."

"You're dead," Tony whispered. A woman with long black hair and clear blue eyes stepped in front of him, smiling softly. "You died, so you aren't real."

"Tony," the woman placed both of her hands on his cheeks. "You can see me can't you? I'm in front of you."

"I've been through weirder," Tony tried to pull away but the woman grabbed his hands. "Listen, you died, a really long time ago, and-"

"We were in love though, Tony," She purred and pulled him close, swaying back and forth with him. "Remember the times we would dance in the courtyard between the dorms? And we would walk each other to classes, even if our next class was on the other side of campus?"

"Darla, don't," Tony whispered and pulled his hands away from her.

"Dont? Don't what, Anthony?" She placed her hands on his chest and started to push him backwards. "Don't remind you of all the good times we had? Don't remind you of the love that we shared, how you almost abandoned your family name for me? Or, don't remind you of the accident?" Tony felt himself slam up against a wall or something. "Of how I died, and you survived?" She narrowed her eyes and closed her hands around his shirt, nails digging into his chest.

"We were lab partners, we were lovers, and I died," she hissed out and Tony grabbed her wrists. "You, you were able to survive. Did you mourn me? Did you suffer?" Tony's eyes widened when he noticed flames appearing around them.

He remembered the day, of course he remembered it. There was an accident with the lab equipment next to them. Tony had grabbed Darla to try and put her behind him but the chemicals had reached the open flame and there was the explosion. Glass shattered, chemicals ran loose, people were screaming. She had died instantly, the woman that he was going to propose to, at 18 while pursuing his Master's. He was going to give up Stark Industries to Obidiah because Howard had had the forethought to put in his will that he did not approve of Darla and she was to be no where near the company.

Tony gasped when he felt the flames licking up his arms. He looked away from Darla and found that he was on the floor, liquid pooling under his body, burning at his clothes and starting to burn at the skin. "You thought I was dead, but I wasn't," she hissed and Tony started to squirm on the floor, unable to get up. "Do you want to know what I felt? Let me help you with that, lover." Tony suddenly screamed, his back arching up, as the chemical induced fire swallowed his body.

"Tony!" He could hear a couple of voice calling his name, but they sounded fall away. His arms were pressed against his chest and he couldn't move. He needed to move, needed to get away. "Tony, open your eyes!"

He gasped when he was suddenly pulled up into a sitting position. He saw Thor holding onto him and Nathan at his side. There were no flames around him but he swore he could still feel the pain. Tony pulled away from Thor and stood up quickly, trying to ignore the way his hand and knees started to shake.

"Tony, what the hell happened?" Nathan asked, eyes wide as they both up. "One second you're behind us, the next your on the ground screaming."

"You're in my realm now," a voice hissed int he air around them. "I just gave him a taste of what I can do."

"Hela!" Thor shouted, hand gripping his hammer. "Show yourself!"

"You belong here, Anthony Edward Stark," the voice got closer. Tony suddenly turned, throwing his fist out, and feeling it connect with something for a second. "You are only a mortal! Do you honestly think that you could just come into my realm, again I might add, and leave without me knowing?"

"Why don't you just stop all the bullshit," Tony looked around, flexing his fingers. His hand moved suddenly and he caught a wrist that had been going for his throat. Hela smirked at him as her hand caught his other wrist.

"My, what a strange dance we find ourselves in, Stark."

"Where's Kaia?" Tony growled out.

"Do you actually care? Do you even remember who she is?" Hela started to move them, putting Tony's back to Nathan and Thor. "You could leave now, leave everything, start over, it wouldn't be hard. Why would you want to remember all the years of hurt and anguish that you went through?"

"Because I know that there are years of happiness in there," Tony glared at her, stopping her from taking him two far away from the other two.

"Are you sure?" She pulled him closer, bring her face closer to his ear. "Anthony Stark, when have you ever been allowed to stay happy for too long? Your parents, Darla, the arc reactor? We've met before and you know it, in fact it's one the freshest memories you have." Her appearance changed slightly, and Tony looked at her, willing himself to hide his surprise. He let go of her wrist and took a step back, but she pulled him closer. "You belong here, you know it, you saw me while they were trying to save your life. If you stay here, I'll give you back your memories, and send the girl back with those two dimwits."

Tony blinked, actually considering the offer. "And Loki," he said and it was Hela's turn to be surprised. "You have to send Loki back."

"Of course, I shall-"

"She's lying!" Tony's head shot up when he heard Kaia's voice. Hela hissed and wrapped a hand around Tony's throat. "She traded him away!"

"You will stay here anyway! You know that you shouldn't have lived!" Tony gasped for breath and tried to claw at Hela's hand. He suddenly threw himself at her and they hit the ground hard. Tony saw that Nathan was holding onto Kaia and was glad that he had provided enough of a distraction for his cloaking device to work.

Hela pinned Tony to the ground and he used his leg to push against her body. She growled and tightened her grip on his throat, attempting to crush his windpipe. Tony gagged and used both if his feet. He felt a little relief when Thor managed to pull her off. Helping him up he saw the god working at the return spell quickly.

"You can search for your pathetic lover," Hela called out from the spot she had landed. "But I guarantee he's already been broken. The Chitauri have longed for revenge, and they'll use him to release their master. Thanos will be free again, mortal."

Tony felt a flash of fear run through his body at the name. He looked at her as Kaia held onto him and she only smirked. She started to laugh as they disappeared and Tony felt that he had still lost.


	15. Chapter 15

It took all of two minutes for Tony pull Kaia into his arms, even if he didn't quite remember her, he just knew. Bruce was examining his throat which had quickly started to bruise and was very painful. He found it hard to breathe and Pepper was hovering just behind Bruce.

"She did a number on your throat," Bruce said after several minutes. "I can't tell without getting a look at it, but it should heal just fine, it's just going to be painful." Tony nodded a little as his hand subconsciously rubbed Kaia's back. He gave Tony a small smile before turning back to pack up the emergency kit.

"I know how you can find Dad," Kaia whispered and Tony blinked looking down at her. "I know you don't remember him, but you still came for us, so I know you're in there somewhere." Tony ran a hand through her hair and smiled at her "I know you can find him, because they'll still want the tesseract."

Tony blinked and hugged her closer to him for a second, having a flashback to when they were attacked on Asgard. One of the Chitauri had told him that a deal had been made, no doubt with Hela. If she made her own deal, maybe he could use that to his advantage. Kaia tapped the arc reactor and raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever you're thinking, I want in on this." Tony instantly shook his head.

"No, it's too dangerous," he rasped out. "I'm doing this alone, and you are to tell no one."

"Until you're gone, right?" Tony nodded and smile smiled sadly at him. "You both come back, you hear me? You two need to give me another sibling." Tony wrinkled his nose as Kaia chuckled quietly. "You had better go before they come back to check on us." Tony kissed her forehead and she hugged him around the neck tightly. "Come back, soon."

* * *

Loki's back arched as he accidentally turned over from his side. He hissed in pain from the damp floor touching the open wound on his back. Opening the only eye that wasn't swollen shut he looked over the dim room. He hadn't been there long, it was only about an hour ago that they had gotten tired torturing him. He knew what they wanted, the same thing as before. They wanted the tesseract for Thanos, so he could get his powers back, wreak havoc on the Nine Realms, and find his Lady Death. They still didn't know that Tony held all of the tesseracts power, and he would die before he told them.

At least that was the plan. He wasn't expecting the blue shimmer and Tony to suddenly fall to the ground outside the cell. His eye widened a little and he tried to push himself up. His broken arm would do him no good, but the other was only dislocated at the shoulder.

Tony looked around then saw Loki and smirked a little. He was able to see the dark marks around his throat and frowned. Tony put a finger to his lips and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small device that had a blinking light on it, then pressed a button and several small prongs popped up. Placing it over the lock of the cell it gave off one short shrill beep before letting out a loud pop. They both winced at the sound but it fell off and Tony was able to push the cell door open.

"There's a little girl worried about you," Tony said in a whisper and Loki frowned a little. "I'll explain later." He moved to wrap an arm around Loki before he stopped when he felt something sharp sticking between his shoulder blades.

"Hela told us that you would come," a voice hissed from behind and Tony kept watching Loki closely. "She also told us that you hold what we want." Tony winced when a large, six fingered hand grabbed his shoulder tightly and pulled him up. "Shall we take him, godling?" Tony was turned around and his hands pulled out and shackled in front of him.

"Leave him alone," Loki growled out as he stumbled to his knees. "He is only mortal-"

"We will leave that for Him to decide," the Chitauri growled. "We were promised this mortal, and all his secrets."

"Promised by whom?" Loki stumbled to one foot, leaning against the wall. "By Hela? She is full of lies and-"

"Much like you, Asgardian?" Loki growled. Tony shook his wrists a little, testing the weight of the shackles. "If you're so concerned with this mortal, we can always bring you along to watch. It is clear that you have no gotten enough of our attention."

Loki bit his lip to keep from making a sound as one of the guard pulled him up by his broken arm, shackling his own wrists together. Not that it would do much good. Tony grunted a little a rough, cold, hand grabbed his chin and lifted his head, turning it side to side. "Looks like someone already had some fun with you, mortal."

"I have a name," Tony rasped out.

"It doesn't matter."

Tony was jerked forward as they started to walk, a hand pulling on the chain between his wrists. He heard Loki stumble behind him, but couldn't turn to look unless he wanted to run into something. He had to squint a little when they left the cells and headed towards what looks like a small floating island connected by stairs. Tony could only assume that the Tesseract's power was keeping him alive. He was still human, and this place was Not Earth.

As they ascended the steps a deep chuckle started above them. "The Midgardian comes, how quaint." A shiver ran down Tony's spine when they stopped, facing the back of what could be only be thought of as a throne. He would be facing someone with a slightly bigger ego than his own. Joy.

"The Asgardian wishes for more punishment, also." Tony glanced over to see the Chitauri who was obviously in charge of the others. "This could not have worked out better," the creature bowed deeply.

"Actually," Tony spoke up, trying to cover his smirk, "it could have worked out better." The Other hissed at him and he just raised an eyebrow. "If I am not mistaken, you made a deal with Hela, all around bitch, correct?"

"You will not speak-" the Chitauri was cut off when the thrones' occupant stood up and turned to face Tony. He couldn't help but swallow as he looked at the purple creature in front of him. He had survived worse though, or so the others had told him, he could handle this.

"The terms of of her allowance to leave here alive are none of your concern, mortal." The words were accompanied with a faint smirk. This had to be Thanos.

"I think they are, actually," Tony shifted a little, the chains clinking together. "She promised to deliver me to you, did she not?" He paused, but no one made to speak. "Well, I've come here on my own accord, thereby negating her own dealings, and prompting my own."

Thanos let out a laugh that seemed to shake the rock they were on. "You come here, withholding something that I want, and expect to bargain for your life? I had not thought you were this foolish. Were you not the one who destroyed my convoys? Were you not the one who saw into the abyss that is my domain? Did you get a glimpse of her?" Thanos moved closer to Tony, smiling now. "Did you see my Lady Death?"

"Did I-" Tony sucked in a breath and tensed suddenly. He saw explosions, a missile headed straight for ships, Chitauri ships. He felt the cold seeping through the suit, could feel the oxygen leaving his lungs. The darkness was spreading through his mind, numbing it. This is what Loki saw, what Loki fell through.

Tony gasped for breath suddenly but an explosions of voices and yelling. He turned and saw Loki struggling with the guards, trying to get to him. "Stop!" Tony winced at the pain in his throat from the shout. "If you don't stop I'll destroy the Tesseract." That caught their attention. He caught eyes with Loki, who was breathing rather deeply, and he knew that Tony remembered now.

Tony was flipped forward suddenly when his arm was in a painful grip and he was facing Thanos. "You are no position-"

"I am in every position to bargain," Tony growled out. "I know where the Tesseract is, I know how to get it to you. In fact, I'm the Only one who can give it to you." He leaned forward a little, even as his mind screamed to get as far away as he could. "Even Hela was not in such a position."

Thanos growled, his grip tightening, but he didn't move. "Name your terms, Midgardian."

"You release Loki, return him from you where you got him." Outside the Healing Rooms is exactly where Loki belonged in his condition. Thanos waited for Tony to say more and raised an eyebrow when the silence continued.

"You ask for the traitors life? That's all?"

"Remove my shackles," Tony held up his hands when Thanos let go of him. The chain fell from between the shackles, but the bracelets themselves stayed. "Fair enough."

"We will release the Asgardian, but I will not return him. He will have to leave on his own," Thanos smirked.

"Don't worry about that part." Tony walked forward towards Loki, who was doing his best to stare him down, letting him know how stupid he was. Tony already knew that part.

"Anthony," Loki hissed when he was close enough. Tony grabbed his better hand and Loki felt something small pressed into it.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I have a plan, and you have a teenager to get back to." Tony smirked at him as the arc reactor started to glow brighter. "Tell Nathan not to touch my suits. He has to build his own if he wants my job."

Loki opened his mouth to yell at Tony but suddenly found himself falling to the floor. A golden floor. There were boots rushing towards him but he opened his hand and saw a small disc in his hand. He recognized the digital numbers as some of Tony's personal codes to access the workshops and JARVIS. He flipped it over and saw a message in Tony's scribbled handwriting.

'In case I do something Stupid'


	16. Chapter 16

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" Nathan stared at the disc. "He's always doing something stupid, but he never gave us this before."

"He should stop playing the damsel in distress," Clint remarked from his seat. "So, how do we find him? Dimension hopping is a little past my paygrade."

"Thanos will never allow us to find him like that anyway," Loki remarked, his hand running through Kaia's hair absently. "No, he will go back to Midgard to claim what was stolen from him the first time. He is a vengeful creature."

"So then we prepare for another attack?" Steve asked, looking between Loki and Thor. "We should go back-"

Thor shook his head. "We prepare here, this will be the first place he will come."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Bruce asked, turning his glasses in his hands. "Why would he risk coming to Asgard? Your father and an army is here."

"There is something here that he wants, something of great power," Thor told them. "Now that he has the power of the tesseract he will be able to come and claim it. We prepare and stop him."

"And we hope that Tony can do his best to hold out," Natasha said, voicing what the other were hoping.

* * *

An hour later Nathan was sitting next to Loki's bed, Kaia having fallen asleep next to her father, and turned the disc in his hand. "Have you figured it out yet?" Loki asked the teen quietly.

"I wanted to wait until Kaia was asleep," Nathan admitted. "I'm sure that you're not going to like it either." Nathan looked up to meet the god's green eyes. "He had a contingency plan, somehow, for this very problem. He has plans on here to get rid of the power of the tesseract, and to get it out of the hands of someone like Hela, or Thanos."

"Am I going to want to strangle him after I hear about it?" Loki asked, one would think much too casually. When Nathan didn't respond Loki tilted his head a little. "Nathan?"

"He wants us to destroy the arc reactor," he said softly. "More specifically he wants to destroy the power of the tesseract. If there is no tesseract, then no one can win..." Loki's eye twitched once and Nathan knew that he was putting up a mask.

"It's obvious the man was foolish when he wrote that," Loki shifted a little on the bed as he spoke. "He wants us to destroy the very thing that keeps him alive. It is times like that I wonder what I ever saw in him."

"Crazy attracts crazy," Nathan smirked a little. "Now did you want to hear the rest of what I was going to say before you start planning his inevitable death at your hands." Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "I've been in Tony's lab enough over the past two week to know some of what he hides in there. He's got a spare reactor down there, because Tony would never be content with having just one reactor."

"Are you planning to let that foolish mortal destroy his reactor?" Loki rubbed the spot between his eyes. "You two are just alike, you are aware of this correct?"

"Perfectly."

* * *

Loki had informed Thor that he and Nathan would be traveling back to the mansion to try and put Tony's plan into motion, to try and turn the tide while he worked with the guards and warriors of Asgard. He left Kaia in his room asleep, magically locking the door. He knew her, and how well she had listened to him last time.

They were gone maybe an hour, but Loki knew that something was wrong when Heimdall didn't respond and he had to take Nathan back through one of his pathways. Loki had a flashback to the last time he did that, and that it led to a chain of events that almost cost him Tony.

Nathan had grabbed onto Loki's arm when the older man suddenly stopped as they stepped into the palace "They're here," Loki hissed out. He could feel the Titan, could feel his power. That meant that Tony was here. "Go back and stay with Kaia," Loki order, grabbing the reactor from Nathan. "Stay in the room, do Not leave it." Nathan blinked then nodded, before taking off. He knew better than to argue with an upset god.

It didn't take Loki long to find out what happened, or at least what was happening. He jumped over the guards and the aliens, not stopping to see if they were alive or just unconscious. He could feel an influx of power down towards the vault. Thanos was indeed going to go after the Gauntlet first. Loki could see the doors to the vault, he saw the fighting, he could feel the presence of Thanos, but he stopped so suddenly that he almost fell forward. He also felt something else, something far more important.

"Tony," Loki practically breathed his name as he ran over to the man that was hunched over on the floor against the wall. He was pale, too pale, his hands were shaking and he was looking down, hand on his chest, one knee pulled up to his chest. He reached out and lifted Tony's head by his chin and frowned, controlling his expression when he saw two thin blood trails, one from his noise, the other from the corner of his mouth. "You stupid man."

"It's why-" he coughed, and took a couple of breaths. "What the disc says." He gave Loki a tight smile, then coughed again, putting a fist to his mouth. Loki pulled the hand away and saw the spots of blood on his hand. "You have... to do it..." He leaned his head back against the wall, trying to catch his breath. "Destroy it, Thanos will be stranded. This is going to kill me."

"It'll kill you if I do take it out," Loki growled a little. Tony grabbed Loki's hand, his hands causing Loki's to tremble as they shook.

"You can't let me go like this, not like this." Tony looked him in the eye. "Not under his control."

"I'm not letting you go yet, mortal," Loki said as he squeezed his hand and pulled out the other reactor. "You owe your life in penance to me."

"For what?" If asked, Tony would deny that his voice hitched a little higher in that moment.

"For making me with child all those years ago. You signed a lifetime contract at that point." Tony blinked once then smiled as best he could. "Now, shall we replace that before anymore damage is done?"

"You're going to have to do it, my hands aren't steady enough." For a moment Tony could have sworn that Loki actually looked a little nervous. "It's fine, just twist until it pops out," Tony said as he put Loki's hand over top the reactor. "It's like a jar of pickles, or something. Yeah, just like that." He took a deep breath, one hand on Loki's arm. "Just pull it out, put it in my lap, yeah, then just slide that in the same way."

Loki swallowed, concentrating on getting the second reactor in, but not wanting to spend too much time doing it. As he started to slip it in a large hand gripped his shoulder from behind and yanked him out of the way. His hand slipped from the reactor and he heard it slide out and hit the ground. Loki moved, sliding across the floor and standing up with two blades in his hands, slashing through the air with a deadly silence to behead the alien stupid enough to touch him. As he turned to move back to Tony he saw four more enemies waiting him. He could hear Tony fumbling for the reactor, starting to wheeze.

Loki's hands started to glow and he crouched down low before he blinked. The aliens suddenly dropped, arrows in their backs. He looked behind them frowning, before his eyes widened at who he saw. The man nodded his head once before running towards the vault.

Before he could think about it more Loki turned and ran, dropping to his knees as he grabbed the new reactor and Tony's hand, quickly sliding it into place. "You could have had better timing," Tony wheezed out, hand over Loki's as it locked the reactor in place. "When I wrote out those plans i hadn't finished the reactor, so it wasn't an option."

"You are still foolish," Loki told him as he picked up the tesseracts newest vessel. "How exactly do you propose we destroy this? It's a very powerful item, and I'm sure it will try to protect itself." They both looked over to see three of the attacking aliens fly from inside of the vault and Thor step through.

"I think that would be enough to do it." Tony nodded to Thor wielding his hammer.

"Brother!" Thor looked over and saw Loki walking towards him and hurried over. "They came not long after you left. I have been unable-" he stopped when Loki pointed over to Tony against the wall who gave a weak wave of his hand.

"You need to destroy this with Mjolnir," Loki held up the glowing reactor for him to see. "It will weaken the Titan and we will be able to capture him." Thor nodded grimly, his hand tightening around the handle of his hammer. He took it from Loki and took a couple steps back, putting it on the ground.

Loki hurried back over to Tony, bracing his arms against the wall so that his whole body covered Tony. With him being so weak, and human, the backlash that he expected from the tesseract would no doubt harm Tony more than it already did. He grunted as he was pushed forward at the sudden roar of sound and energy. Tony winced and closed his eyes tightly, feeling the shockwave pass through them. No one could miss the loud roar of anger from inside the vault. Thanos knew that he had been beaten.

Thor walked over and offered his hand to help Loki up, ad they both helped Tony to his feet, holding his arms as he locked his knees. "Go check on my niece, I think that we shall be able to handle this" Thor smiled at the two of them before leaving Loki to Tony.

Tony leaned heavily on Loki, closing his eyes a little. "Where is our little sprite?" Tony asked, slowly moving his feet with Loki.

"I locked her in our rooms, along with Nathan. I imagine that Gabby went to stay with Mother and that they both guarded the room." Loki had his arm around Tony's waist. he couldn't wait for their family to finally be reunited. It had been far too long.

Neither man was expecting to see the door to their room blown off its hinges, or to see both Gabby and Frigga lying on the floor unconscious. Tony dropped to his knees to check on the two women as Loki ran into the room. He could feel his heart beating against chest as he ran in. There was a dull roar, a rushing, in his ears as he looked around, eyes wide. The room was trashed, furniture was broken, drapes and sheets torn and burnt.

Nathan and Kaia were gone.


	17. Chapter 17

_Tony walked down the street with Kaia, he thought back to the years before he met Loki, before the Avengers, and wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. Women were really into men with kids, if the stares he were getting were any indication. Kaia started to swing his arm back and forth a little and the women seemed to melt on the spot of how cute it was. When Tony glanced down at his seven year old daughter over his sunglasses she just looked back at him and grinned. And he knew that grin._

_Tony started to laugh. "You are a chip off the block, kiddo."_

_"Whatever do you mean," Kaia smiled innocently._

_"Come on you little heart breaker," he opened the door to the office building and she walked through first, still holding onto his hand. "Let's pick this stuff up and then we'll go get you some more art supplies." Kaia squealed a little and Tony snorted through his smile._

_Pepper had the weekend off but had made sure to remind him that there were some papers he had to sign and contracts to read through, and she had left them up in the office. Kaia was eager to go with him because she had never seen the office that her Daddy worked in when he wasn't flying around with the Avengers._

_"Now the office is nothing special," Tony told her as they got on the elevator._

_"It's not the office that's special," Kaia told him as she rolled her eyes. "It's what you do in the office that makes it special." Tony raised an eyebrow. "You run a business and are a superhero, not many Dad's can boast that."_

_"Did I ever tell you that you got some brains?" Tony ruffled her hair a little. Kaia rumpled her nose a little at the gesture and they stepped off the elevator when the doors opened._

* * *

Tony sat on the edge of the bed, fingers rubbing the hem of his shirt, eyes focused on nothing. Color had slowly started to return to his body, but he wouldn't be strong enough to walk on his own for a while. His body had been through a lot over the past couple of days. Tony heard the door quietly shut and the bed dip a little.

"How are they?" Tony asked quietly.

"They'll be fine, the healers are with them, but there was no damage," Loki answered him. "We'll be able to find out more when they wake up." Tony nodded a little. Loki reached over and took one of his hands. "You're going to wear a hole in that shirt."

"There was this one time, I took her to my office, she was so damn excited." Loki turned his head a little to watch Tony talk. "There's nothing exciting about my office, it's a mess. I don't know where half of anything is in there, the only thing clean is the desk so Pepper can put papers there. But I'll be damned if that little girl didn't have fun."

"You know we're going to find them." Loki was rubbing Tony's thumb the same way he had been rubbing at his shirt. "Heimdall is searching now. Thanos has been captured, the rest have been dealt with, and the tesseract is no longer inside of your body."

"When did things start going to hell?" Tony glanced up at Loki's face.

"The days that we were born." Tony snorted. "We'll get Nathan and Kaia, they're questioning Thanos now, it's only a matter of time."

Tony licked his lips a little. "I just have a bad feeling this time. I'm not going anywhere for a while, and you're still not 100%." He looked over and saw that Loki wasn't looking at him anymore. "Loki?"

"That's not all that happened," Loki admitted after a moment. "I saw Balder during the fight."

"Balder?" Tony frowned. "Should I know him? This isn't some side effect from forgetting earlier is it?"

"Balder is our brother, Thor's and mine," Loki told Tony. "Well, half brother really, but semantics. He's always been a bit of a, how to put it, free spirit? He liked to spend a lot of time on earth, found you mortals fascinating."

"And he disappeared? You wouldn't be telling me this if he had been hiding in his room for a week." Tony straightened a little, leaning on Loki's shoulder.

"More recently he had been spending his time on Midgard, he had actually fallen in love." Tony smirked a little, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, it seems to be a recurring theme. He had a family, three children." Loki looked at Tony and spoke a little slower. "A set of twin boys, and a younger daughter... Brant-"

"Potts," Tony finished, eyes a little wide.

* * *

_Gabby hopped down the steps to grab her keys so she could get the last part of Jak and Marcus's christmas presents, and stopped when she heard voices, soft voices. She dipped down a little when she recognized them as Tony and Banner's. She frowned a little but couldn't understand what they were saying. When she got back up she purposely made a little more noise before she reached the bottom._

_"Hey, I'll be back, I'm gonna,... go..." Gabby trailed off when she saw the looks they gave her. She knew those looks, she had seen it on the face of her father when she was ten. He didn't know how to tell his three kids that their mother wouldn't be coming home anymore._

_"Gabby,..." Tony looked at her and she started to back up._

_"No," she held up a finger. "No, you're not gonna say anything. I'm gonna go, and I'm gonna run my errand, and when I get back you're gonna say that this was all some stunt." She started to shake her head. "I don't accept bad news anymore."_

_Tony frowned a little and walked over to her, taking her wrist before she could walk away. "It was a car accident." He could see her breathing speed up and he quickly pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry." After a minute Gabby pulled away, looked up at him and nodded once, and turned around walking out of the room._

_It was Loki that found her later, sitting out by an outcropping, listening to the water that surrounded part of the mansion. He sat down wordlessly and they both just looked out at the water. He was reminded of when she was younger and wouldn't talk, how they were able to communicate without words. Gabby closed her eyes and threw herself into Loki. He nodded a little and rubbed her back, wrapping his arms around her tightly._

_She let out a breath and leaned against Loki. "He was probably driving out to the airport," she started. Loki dare not interrupt her if she wanted to talk about it. "Jak, horrible at keeping secrets, hinted that Dad was gonna surprise me by flying out to Malibu. I can't blame him, it would have been the first Christmas with all three of us in college. Must have been quiet at home." She turned a little and Loki wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into him, letting her cry._

* * *

"I don't know who's going to be more surprised and upset," Tony commented. "I mean, I feel like I should be pissed as well, that you and Thor knew that he was a god and didn't tell me."

"You are horrible at keeping secrets," Loki said quietly. "And at the time the information was not truly important. When he died here we lost all contact with him, we thought that something must have happened and that he was traveling. He would do anything to keep his family safe."

"That's a problem all you Odinson's have." Loki snorted a little. "But now he's back?"

"As far as I could see, I did not see him after the battle so I was unable to talk to him. I don't think that Thor saw him either." Loki let out a breath. "I will be the one to tell Gabby."

"This family really doesn't do thing half way do they?" Tony let out a sigh, letting his eyes droop a little.

"We don't, but now you need to rest." Loki turned a little to help move Tony further onto the bed. "You're color still has not come back enough for my liking, and you can hardly move." Loki put a hand on Tony's shoulder when he opened his mouth to talk. "There's nothing that you can do at the moment, but I shall wake you the second I know anything. Sleep, Anthony."

"Ouch, you pulled out the full name." Tony grabbed Loki's hand before he walked away The two just looked at each other for a second before he let go. "Go, have your meaningful conversation. I'll be here when you get back."

* * *

Loki walked into the Healers quarters and drifted off to the side to avoid the hustle and bustle of the room. Sometimes he would find himself in here to help, but he didn't feel that he would have the energy to help all the injured warriors at the moment. Heading towards the back he made his way to the private rooms, the little group of guards parting to let him in. He nodded to Thor as he walked over. Odin was sitting by Frigga's bed. "Any news?"

"Thanos' punishment will be decided by the Norns. Mother woke," Thor frowned then. "It was not Thanos that was responsible for Kaia and Nathan's disappearance."

Loki let out a sigh and nodded once. "I had a bad feeling that it might have been her. Did you see our other sibling around here?"

"Balder?" Thor raised an eyebrow. "No, I have not seen him since i got a glimpse of him at the battle. Are you going to tell her?" Loki nodded and Thor squeezed his shoulder a little. "I wish you luck then. I shall go and check on the others I do believe that Banner and Rogers were going to check on Tony."

"Good, because I doubt that he is actually sleeping. This way he won't leave the room at first." He moved to walk away but Thor kept his hand on his shoulder. "I will be fine, Thor."

"But you will no doubt be better once we find the children. We are focusing our attentions on the search now."

Loki nodded. "Thank you." He took a breath and walked over to the second bed, pulling a chair over to the side. "How's your head?"

"Achey," Gabby replied, eyes still closed. "She hit us with something, I didn't see it all, though." She opened her eyes and looked at Loki. "Did she take them?" Loki let out a breath and Gabby sank back into the pillow. She glanced at him and frowned. "I don't like that look, I've gotten it three times in life. What is it?"

"You shouldn't be the one to have this conversation, brother." They both looked up and Gabby felt the breath catch in her chest. Balder walked over as Loki stood up. "I owe my children an explanation."


	18. Chapter 18

Tony tapped a screwdriver against his arc reactor, watching Dum-E wheel around the lab. He sighed and leaned against the bumper of the car. His companion whirred, low and long. "Yeah, I'm just not in a working mood." He glanced back at the car again. "It needs a a new paint job when we're done."

"Is it almost done?" Tony looked up when Clint walked in. "Can't start thinking about painting it if it's not close to being done." He stopped a few feet away and watched the little robot roam around. "You've been working on that car for a while."

"It's supposed to be for Nathan when he gets his license," Tony muttered, dropping the screwdriver in the front seat.

"Well, when he comes back make sure that he takes the engine apart and puts it back together again before he drives it." Clint crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not a free ride. Plus, it'll get him ready to build his own Iron Man suit when you retire."

Tony let out a long sigh. "It's been six months, and Loki is still no closer with all his spells, Heimdall hasn't seen anything either."

"It's just taking a little longer, that's all," Clint tried to reassure the man. He and Loki had been different the past six months, but it wasn't surprising. Every so often Loki would disappear for a day, sometimes two, and come back saying that he had been looking.

Tony rubbed his face with his hands. Clint turned when he saw Pepper walking in and she gave him a nod. They traded places, Clint closing the door on his way out. She walked over pushed his hands back down. "I was supposed to watch over him, they trusted me with him. Tanya's last words to me were that they trusted us, they trusted me to be his guardian, to raise him. And now he's gone, it's been six months, and the only thing I know is that he's been taken by someone who hates me and Loki and wants to bring about the end of the Nine Realms." Tony took a breath and looked up at Pepper. "I failed them both."

"Anthony Stark, don't you ever say that again." Tony looked up to see the stern gaze of Pepper Potts, a gaze no one would have liked to be under. "If you say that you've failed them again, you had better be dying, and have betrayed everyone." She tapped the bottom of his chin and he looked up. "They'll be back here, in one piece, and that will be that. Don't you dare gave up."

There was a light knock on the door and they both turned and looked up to see Loki slowly walking in. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all. I was just coming down here to ask if either of you wanted to come with me to the airport." Pepper smiled at him. "I'm going to pick up Gabby, she's coming back here for her break."

"I was actually going to keep working on this car," Tony leaned over to pick the screwdriver up again.

"I'll come," Loki offered. "It's been far too long since I've seen her get air sick."

"You are actually still evil aren't you?" Tony asked while pepper just raised an eyebrow.

"I'm so very glad that you both can see that, it makes me feel so much better about myself." Loki smiled, but no one commented how it didn't reach his eyes.

"Tony?" There was a thud and a shout of pain and Steve winced a little as he walked into the workshop.

"Son of a-" Tony slid out from under the car, rubbing his head, getting black oil all over his head. "Steve? What are you doing here, I thought you were out in New York still?"

"Decided I'd stop by. You okay?" He walked over and pulled over a stool. "I've been here for a few hours, and they sent me down here to get you for dinner. Thor's here, but Clint had to leave."

"I'm sure that Gabby's happy you're here." Tony smirked a little at the slight reddening of Steve's cheeks. "You two have been together for how long now, and you're still blushing like a school girl?"

"Balder's here too," Steve mumbled and Tony leaned in a little.

"What was that?" Tony put his hand to his ear. "I didn't hear that? Did you say the Godly father of your girlfriend is here for dinner as well? Steve Rogers, are you nervous about eating dinner with your possible in-law?"

"Shut it, Stark." Steve hit his shoulder as Tony wiped his face off. Steve couldn't deny that he was happy to see a Tony that was ready to good around and tell jokes again, though.

The two went up the stairs and Gabby was helping Pepper put the food on the table. Loki was rolling his eyes as Thor and Balder laughed at something. Probably stories from Asgard if the look on Loki's face was anything to go by.

"And then-then Loki-" Loki looked at Balder as he tried to talk through his laughter.

"Loki saved both of you from certain death and punishment from Father," Loki finished his sentence. "Must I remind both of you every time that it was my magic, that you both mocked as children, that saved you?"

"All these years, and he still complains our adventures." Thor grinned at his brother and Loki huffed a little. Tony kissed Loki's cheek as he sat down next to him.

"He complains about everything, I'm used to it though." Tony grinned at Loki's withering glance.

"At least I enjoy the things I complain about now," Loki leaned back in his chair as Steve started putting glasses on the table to help the girls. "Unlike with you two bumbling baffoons."

"Be careful, brother," Balder smiled at Loki. "You might accidentally compliment us one day."

"Don't joke about that," Loki scowled a little. "If it happens I'll have reason to not save you the next time you get hurt." Tony wasn't even trying to hide his laughter.

Gabby kissed Steve's cheek, being pulled closer as wrapped an arm around her waist. "How nervous are you right now?" She grinned as he wrinkled up his nose a little. "It's not like you're asking him for my hand in marriage. It's just dinner. Just ignore the fact that both of his brothers are sitting at the table and could possible kill you."

"You have an absolute way with words, you know that?" Steve puffed out a breath as she started heading towards the table, pulling him along. "It's been much too long since I've seen you-"

"Blame school and your job," Gabby threw in, sitting down as he pulled out the chair for her.

"And the first night we have together is a meet the parents type dinner." Gabby snorted.

"The mighty Captain America and his toughest challenge yet." She grinned at him before taking a sip of her water. "You're cute when you're trying to be unamused. There's a little wrinkle riiiiight-" She stopped and looked over when Tony cleared his throat loudly.

"If I'm not allowed to be disgusting at the dinner table, neither are you." Tony pointed his fork at Gabby first. "Next thing you know you two will be making that gross kissy face at each other-"

"We don't make a 'kissy face'!" Steve exclaimed. He opened his mouth to retaliate but Loki suddenly sat up straight and everyone else heard a soft rumble. There was a crackle of light and something suddenly hit the end of the table, bouncing off and hitting the empty chair, tipping it over. There was a loud moan as half of the table jumped up, ready in defense position, Gabby and Pepper suddenly finding themselves behind the others.

Steve and Thor had edged over first, being closer, and saw the person, a man, roll off of the chair, onto his back, hand on his stomach. He had shaggy light brown hair, some dirt and scratches on his face, and he looked like he had taken a tumble down a dirt hill. He put a hand on his stomach, wincing a little.

"Fuck, that hurt," he moaned out then opened his eyes suddenly when he felt the edge of a sword at his neck. Balder was behind him, weapon in hand. "Don't kill me! Shit!"

"Nathan?!" Tony pushed through Thor and Steve, eyes wide.

"Oh thank god!" He relaxed a little, even though the sword was still at his neck.

"What happened?" Gabby had hurried over once the others had stood down, helping Nathan sit up slowly. "You're... older."

"I think I'm older than you now," he groaned, hunching over a little. "Is Kaia here yet?"

"Kaia?" Both Loki and Tony were at attention now. "Is she-" A loud crash caught their attention as JARVIS spoke up.

"Sir, I've detected a large energy disturbance down in your workshop. I believe that it is Miss Kaia and-"

"Hela," Loki hissed as Tony took off running. Steve and Thor were right behind him, hoping tos top him from doing something stupid.

Tony practically slid down the stairs running for his workshop. He looked through the windows and saw Hela, and a woman with long brown hair battling with magic. Golden magic. "Kaia!" Hela caught Tony's eyes then smirked. He hand started to glow red as she held onto a black staff and she slammed it down on the ground, a shimmering barrier expanding around them and stopping a few feet away from Tony. Kaia flew back then rolled, staying on her knees, creating her own shield around herself.

"Kaia!" Tony was fighting against both Thor and Steve, but they held him back tightly from outside of Hela's own barrier. One that would surely kill him if he tried to pass through it. Tony thought that if dislocating his arms would get him any closer to Kaia, he'd do it. She kept her eyes closed as she focused on keeping her barrier up. Tony had been forced to miss how much Kaia had grown up and he would be damned if he'd let her get taken away from him again.

Hela pelted the barrier around the nineteen year old, waiting for an opening in the shield of her weakened magic. She let out a triumphant yell when the barrier shimmered away, not noticing that her own had disappeared at the same time. A wind whipped around the workshop, parts and pieces flying everywhere. Kaia shrieked and covered her head until a body covered hers. She opened her eyes to see that Gabby had grabbed onto her, taking the brunt of any of the objects.

Tony blinked when he saw Gabby dive on top of Kaia and Loki was suddenly standing in front of Hela. He didn't even see them come down the stairs. Loki grabbed onto the staff in Hela's hands and narrowed her eyes at him. "You won't be able to control the powers in this room," she growled at him. The staff started to glow and she smirked. "It's absorbing all the power that we used. You know what will happen if you keep a grip on this. You would dare endanger your family and this realm with Ragnarok?!" Loki winced a little as the staff continued to glow. "It's going to overload your own powers, but by all means!" She laughed with a grin.

"Lady, you need to get your eyes checked." Loki smirked and Hela frowned at his speech.

"That's not Loki," Thor spoke first. They all knew that Loki didn't talk like that.

Loki kicked out and up, catching Hela on the chin, loosening her grip on the staff. He pulled it away from her then dropped and kicked her legs out from underneath her. When Loki stood back up, with the staff in his hands, it started to glow brightly. Tony managed to wiggled out of the arms holding him and ran.

Loki shook his head a little and lowered it while putting a hand to his forehead. When Tony ran over and grabbed onto Loki's shoulders he suddenly seemed much shorter. When he looked up it was not Loki's eyes that met his, but Gabby's. She was wearing Loki's jacket, and holding onto the staff. Steve and Thor were right behind him, keeping an eye on Hela.

The wind had suddenly died down and they heard a call for help as things fell to the ground suddenly. Tony ran over to where he thought Gabby had been with Kaia and started to pull his inventions and parts away from the two and saw that it was in fact Loki holding onto their daughter.

"Oh thank god." Tony dropped to his knees and pulled the two into his arms.

"You are most welcome," Loki coughed out a little.

Gabby handed the staff to Steve. "It was his idea," she started to explain to he and Thor. "Hela would have been expecting Loki to try something like this, and she would be less likely to fight back if she knew that she could get him to start Ragnarok. It was a hell of a trick, but it was worth it." She was breathing like she had run a marathon.

"It was fast thinking, but still dangerous," Steve agreed. "Specially with your still developing powers." Gabby nodded. Suddenly her eyes closed and she fell back to the floor. Thor grabbed her quickly and hefted her up into his arms. Before he could call out to Tony or Loki a hand was placed on his arm as another scooped her form his arms.

"Balder," Thor blinked a little then grinned. Both Thor and Steve looked back to see that Hela was gone.

"She's been taken back to Asgard, I didn't want to waste any time ad risk losing her again," the god explained. "I think that perhaps they would like a moment," he nodded towards the small family, that Tony was currently fussing over. "Gabriella only needs some rest, unused to the kind of power that Loki uses for his tricks." The two men nodded and Steve followed close to Gabby's side, Thor following behind.


	19. Chapter 19

Tony was pushing Kaia's hair back into place, and tucking it and retucking it behind her ears constantly as Loki just held onto her. "Look at you, you look like you took three rounds with one of my inventions. Your clothes are filthy, and you look like you could use a hair cut, and-"

"Dad." She took his hands and smiled at him. "You don't need to fuss so much."

"Of course I do." Tony squeezed her hands and pulled them closer to his chest. "Gods, you're so much older, you're taller, and you have more facial features but you inherited your amazing skin from me of course. You have your jaw line from your father, though, I'm sorry to say." Loki let Tony continue on his nervous ramble as he gently ran his hands through her hair, taking comfort int he fact that she was there, that he could feel her in his arms.

Tony didn't need to hear the little shoe scuffle behind him before he offered his arm up When Nathan took it he pulled him down quickly, hugging him tightly. "You're both here, you're both safe That's all that matters right now." Nathan smiled and let out a breath, hugging Tony back.

"You're not curious about-"

"I said, right now. Listen up boy, I thought people got smarter with age." Tony smiled at him and pat his cheek twice. "Christ, are you taller than me now?! What is with this family? I don't Want to be the shortest one."

"Call it the Stark curse," Loki said quietly, letting green tendrils of his magic wind around Kaia and Nathan, tending to some of their more superficial wounds. "Thankfully you didn't pass that on to our daughter." Tony rolled his eyes, but smiled.

* * *

Loki had managed to talk Tony into waiting until Nathan and Kaia had been able to shower and change before asking what had happened. Tony didn't think he'd be able to get used to the fact that instead of barely new teenager walking towards him, there was a young woman.

"How long were we gone for?" Kaia sat down on the couch, Nathan right next to her. neither Tony nor Loki missed just how close he was sitting to her.

"Six months," Tony answered as Loki handed them each a glass of water. Pepper and Steve were sitting on the couch with Tony and Loki while Thor stood behind the couch. Balder was still with a sleeping Gabby.

Nathan hummed a little and nodded. "It was six years for us," Kaia answered for them. "When Hela came I tampered with her spell and we ended up somewhere else, instead of Helheim I can only imagine."

"That was a risky move," Loki said as he nodded. "A calculated risk though."

"She was pretty shocked, and trying to figure out where we were, that we were able to slip away," Nathan continued. "We got lucky because we ended up on Vanaheim, and managed to make our way to a city. Hela didn't stick around for long after that."

"The Vanir hold no love for her," Loki nodded a little. "There is still an alliance with them so they would help both of you."

"We tried not to use our names or anything at first," Kaia picked up the story. "But I still didn't know much about my powers and it was clear that that was the sure fire way to getting away from Hela for good." Kaia put her hand on top of Nathan's when he rested it on top of her knee. "We found a mage who was friendly enough."

"I offered to work as his assistant if he would help Kaia with her powers and some spells." Nathan shrugged a little. "I mean, menial labor was the only thing I had to offer as a mortal."

"That's how we spent the last few years, just hopping from region to region, trying to find out way back here." Kaia could see a few frowns forming. "We later found out that since I messed with the spell it put us in a state of accelerated time, making it so that you couldn't track us. I still don't understand it completely, but it seemed to make sense at the time."

"We were on Alfheim when Hela found us again," Nathan finished up. "A hasty spell and you guys saw me crash into the table. Which really hurt by the way."

"Turns out you two weren't the only ones being hunted by Hela," Tony said when they finished their story.

"I must admit that you managed to do some good, brother." Loki groaned as balder walked int he room while Nathan and Kaia looked at the newcomer with raised eyebrows. "You have a very lovely daughter. Amazing, actually."

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to be rid of him for long enough," Loki mumbled. "This is Balder, Thor and mine's brother, you Uncle, Kaia, Pepper's brother, and Gabby's father."

"I was still really young when young when you died," Kaia frowned a little as she watched him.

"Yes, the car accident that I was in was set up by Hela. I didn't know why, but I knew that if she knew about me then she would try to get to me through my kids." Balder explained.

"So you left, to keep them safe?" Balder nodded to Nathan's question.

"I am just unfortunately linked to both of these troublemakers," Pepper spoke up from the couch. "But I knew things wouldn't be easy when I saw this one," she hit the back of Tony's head and he glared, "put on a metal suit that life wouldn't be easy."

"This makes me upset that we are not related by blood, Ginger," Balder grinned and Pepper made a face at the nickname.

"That would also explain why her and Loki were able to both hold the illusions down there," Nathan leaned back against the loveseat a little.

"She's still learning, but she shows potential," Loki nodded a little. "It is just a pity that her father didn't have the forethought to-"

"Yeah yeah, it's all my fault, I've heard it before," Balder interrupted. "I think that we should celebrate tomorrow. Nathan and Kaia are back and Hela is currently up in Asgard with the guards."

"Best means for celebration if I ever heard one," Tony agreed. "And Gabby will be up then too, so she won't want to kill us for starting without her."

"I am going to get some sleep then, because I have a feeling that I'll be making some calls tomorrow." Pepper stood up first, giving a hug to Kaia and Nathan before heading upstairs tot he guest rooms.

"I shall go to Asgard and will be back on the morrow. I shall fill you all in on what actions are being taken." Loki nodded to Thor, a silent thank you.

Steve had quietly excused himself and left the room the same time Balder did. When he was sure they were far enough away, and out of earshot of both Loki and Tony, Steve took a breath and walked next to Balder. "Excuse me sir?" Balder glanced over, eyebrow raised. "I'd actually like to ask you a question."

"You're nervous." Balder stopped them at the top of the steps, watching as Steve brought himself to his full height, back straight, very serious. "Is it perhaps about my daughter?" Steve coughed a little, clearing his throat, nodding once.

"I'm not actually sure what is done on Asgard. Out of the two people that I could ask one can't keep a secret to save his life, and the other would surely tell Tony." Steve fidgeted with his hands a little before clasping them behind his back. "Sir, I love your daughter, of this I have no doubt. I would like to ask your permission to have her hand in marriage."

Balder kept his eyebrow raised. "She's still fairly young, especially for Asgardian."

Steve nodded. "Yes, I know. I plan on waiting until she's done with school, but I know that I want to be with her."

"And you've been trying to work up the courage since the day I came back, right?" Balder smirked.

"Well, maybe not the same day,..." Steve mumbled a little. The smirk never left Balder's face.

* * *

"You are actually going to come and get some sleep, right?" Tony walked up behind Loki, rubbing his shoulders, as he stood out in the hall, watching Kaia sleep. He had seen Nathan make his way into the bedroom, and as soon as he had laid down next to Kaia both had went to sleep easily. Whatever they had been through traveling, they had each to lean on and make it through.

"Soon enough." Loki relaxed slightly under Tony's hands. After a few more minutes he let the shorter man guide him back to their own bedroom, and into their bed. Tony put a hand on his chest laying on his side, pressing his face into Loki's neck.

"She's safe now," Tony whispered against his skin. "They both are. She's home, in her own bed. She's not going anywhere anymore, we don't have to search for her." He let Loki turn to face him, hand taking his and entwining their fingers. Loki rested his head on top of Tony, his cheek pressed against his hair. Tony blinked a little when he suddenly felt a warm, wet spot on his head. he rubbed Loki's hand with his thumb, pulling them closer together.

"I know baby," Tony whispered, pressing light kisses to Loki's chest. "I know."

Neither of them got any sleep that night, but they were able to relax for the first time in months.


	20. Chapter 20

Loki walked down the halls of the palace, a little perplexed on why he was unable to find his partner, or daughter and her constant companion. A few weeks after they had returned Loki and Tony thought that it might be easier to take them up to Asgard to try and catch them up on what school work they would have missed, and for Loki teach Kaia more magic. That left Tony to try and talk with Nathan to find out why he was suddenly so much closer to their daughter. Playing the ever over-protective father. Now all three were suspiciously missing.

He found Frigga coming in from the gardens, a basket of freshly picked flowers on her arm, dirt on her dress, and he smirked. She loved giving her handmaidens something to twitter about.

"There's my youngest," she smiled and moved to kiss his cheeks. "What are you doing alone in the halls?"

"Well, that's what I was about to ask you. I am unable to locate the rest of my family it seems," he frowned a little. He saw a slight smile on her face and knew that she was planning something.

"Hmm, that is indeed odd." Frigga held out her arm and Loki looped his around her elbow. "Walk with me and we'll look for them. I need to take these flowers somewhere, so we can search." They turned down the hall and started to walk. "Did you know that your father had taken a meeting with the council recently?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "That was several days ago, though. So how are the children coming with their studies? You've been here for nearly 9 weeks, yes?"

"Yes, Tony assures me that they are learning quickly with their Midgardian studies. Kaia is excelling in her magic." Loki couldn't help the small proud smile.

"Have I told you that I like Anthony? He certainly is a unique one," she smiled. Now Loki was truly suspicious. "How long have you two been together?"

"Nearing 15 years," Loki informed her. "Midgardian years of course."

"That is perhaps the longest I've seen you with someone." She just smiled at the look that he sent her way. "Only stating the facts."

"Mother, you can be very good at hiding things, when you want to." Loki stopped them in the hall and she merely raised her eyebrows in question. "You are purposely being vague, and dropping little hints. What exactly is going on?"

"Oh look, just on time," Frigga turned and smiled at the two guards that approached them. "I do believe that they are here to escort us, darling. I think that this might be where your wayward partner is." Loki let out a long suffering sigh and walked with his mother and the guards down the hall. They approached the throne room but turned before reaching it, heading towards Odin's personal study. As the doors opened Frigga walked in the first, the guards staying outside and closing the door.

Kaia was sitting next to Tony on the couch with Nathan behind it, Odin sitting behind a large desk. Frigga moved and started taking the flowers from her basket and putting them in a couple of vases in the room. Loki raised one eyebrow and looked over at the three on the couch.

Tony grinned when he saw him and stood up, giving a little turn. "Hey, you like the new threads? A little more leather than is my taste, but I thought you might like it." Tony had a red and gold leather jacket, as long as Loki's, with a high collar that the foolish mortal had popped up. Kaia reached up before Loki could and folded it back down. He wore a black shirt with two diagonal red stripes at the bottom, but had obviously insisted on his own black pants and the tennis shoes that Loki always complained about when he wore them with formal wear.

"Unfortunately, we had no say in what his clothes looked like," Kaia said as she got up and kissed Loki's cheek. "He had them made before we could said anything." Loki noticed that she was wearing her Asgardian clothes, complete with golden discs announcing her status of immortality.

"Yes, that is just like your father." He looked between the people in the room. "Now, is someone going to inform about what is going on?" He saw Odin stand up, reaching out to grab a a small golden box from the desk as he did so. Frigga was just smiling.

Tony cleared his throat a little, and his whole stance changed. Now Loki was extremely suspicious. "I didn't actually think that I'd have an audience when I did this, which is completely out of my character most times." Loki snorted and Tony smiled. "So, if my math about the time change is right, then today is actually the right day, which wasn't how I planned it, but it works. And that means that we've been together, and not killing each other, for 15 years. Now, that's a lot by Tony Stark time, I mean Pepper once compared working for me as time in dog years, and let me tell you, that's a lot of years."

"Anthony, you're rambling," Loki said patiently. "You're making yourself nervous."

"Correction, more nervous." Tony wiped the sides of his jacket from imaginary dust and walked over to Loki, reaching into his pocket. "This is actually a lot more nerve wracking than I thought." He grabbed Loki's head with his hands and kissed him once, then took a breath. "Okay, I needed that, thanks." He grinned as Loki blinked. "Great, so here we go. Loki, oh high God of Chaos and Fire and other great stuff that wouldn't be appropriate in current company. I want to stake my claim on you forever, and ask you to get married to me." Tony pulled out a golden band and Loki blinked some more. He could see that there were runes engraved along the band, and saw a thin strip of red metal along each end of the ring.

"If you say no, I'm disowning myself from this family," Kaia said and Loki snapped out of his shock and looked over at her.

"You are a foolish mortal, but you're My foolish mortal." Loki kissed Tony, giving him a predatory grin after. Tony grinned showing teeth as he slipped the ring on Loki's hand.

"I don't think you can use that line anymore though." Loki raised an eyebrow, looking away from the finely crafted ring. Odin was now walking over and had opened the golden box. Loki saw the two golden medallions.

"Anthony Stark, you have come and proven your worth, and have passed the Trials of Courage." Odin took the medallions out as he spoke. "You have been judged, and I grant you immortality," he reached over and placed the golden discs in the lapels of the jacket, "and Power of the Gods of Asgard. You are now known as god of Engineering and Intellect." The medallions started to glow and Tony took a deep breath as the golden energy seemed to seep into his body.

After a second Tony pointed to himself with both pointer fingers. "I, am a god." He grinned at Loki who let out a snorted and then a laugh. "There are witnesses to my greatness now, no denying it. I am an official god of Asgard." Loki kissed him again, this time a little longer, only stopping when he felt a pair of arms around him and Tony. He looked over to see that Frigga had made it to them first, and Kaia was only a second way, wrapping her arms around them as well.

"You went through the Trials of Courage?" Loki looked at Tony, letting him roll the ring around on his finger, liking the feel of it.

"Trial, singular, kind of," Tony shrugged, smiling.

"He's already proven his worth to Asgard," Frigga spoke up. "And I think that it takes a lot of courage to come and ask the Allfather for his youngest sons hand in marriage." Loki snorted and started to laugh.

"You're still mine, and you said yes," Tony reminded him. "And now we're going to be together for a Very long time."

"Let us hope that we don't destroy Midgard then." Loki smirked.

"Oh, we're going to cause some Chaos, there's no doubt about that!" Tony kissed him slowly, then looked at him. "Can I-"

"Yes." Loki laughed at Tony's grin. Yeah, he could see himself with this man for a little while longer.


End file.
